Although there are many hardships presented due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there are still many bright spots. One of them is the surge in adoption and fostering interest, which may be due to the work-from-home arrangements and the need for companionship.
That said, there are still many dogs and cats in need of a temporary home. Before you decide to foster or adopt a pet, there are a few things to consider. Here’s my personal experience in fostering, and I hope it will help you in your decision on whether to foster an animal!
What Is Fostering?
If you are new to the rescue world, you might be wondering what the difference between fostering and adoption is.
Fostering means taking a dog or cat into your home temporarily until they find a “furever” home. While fostering, you are taking care of it and helping to set it up for success in finding a “furever” home. Depending on whether they are ready to be adopted, they can be living with you from a few days to a year or more. Many foster parents eventually adopt the pets they care for if they find themselves a perfect fit.
Adoption, on the other hand, means that the dog or cat is yours forever. It is a lifetime commitment, and you are fully responsible for the pet.
I think anyone who has had a pet knows the amount of joy they can bring, and whether you are fostering a pet as a sort of trial run for adoption or to help the pets and shelters in need, there is no wrong answer.
How Does Fostering Work?
Firstly, you will fill up an application form and provide some information regarding your living conditions. Then, just wait for them to contact you! The shelters may conduct a home visit prior to your first foster experience.
Be sure that everyone in your household, even if they’re not taking an active role in care, agrees to foster a pet and understand what is involved in taking care of the pet. If you have existing pets at home, make sure that they are able to tolerate a new friend and that the dog you’re fostering can be around other animals. Also, make sure that your pets are up-to-date with their vaccinations before the foster dog or cat comes to stay.
In addition, be realistic about how much time you can devote to caring for an animal. Consider your experience with dogs or cats, as fostering requires a lot of time, patience and attention, and different pets require different levels of commitment.
My First Time Experience In Fostering Puppies
The puppies I fostered were found in a forest, together with seven other puppies. When the shelter brought them to our house, they explained to my family and me how to take care of them and provided us with many supplies such as their food, bed, toys, pee pads, and fence. They also told us that we have to bring them to the vet the next day because one of them has been sneezing a lot and wheezing as she breathes since the rescue day.
Below is a picture of the day we brought them to the vet. She had an x-ray and was diagnosed with mild aspiration pneumonia. Most likely, she had reflux, and some of the gastric acids went on to irritate her nasal passages, leading to a nasal infection. Thankfully, she made a full recovery as we started her on antibiotics and monitored her appetite, breathing efforts, and activity levels.
As they were only 2-3 weeks old when they arrived here, We have to feed them every 3 hours, 6-7 times a day. It wasn’t an easy task feeding the little ones. We had to mix the milk formula with warm water and bottle-feed both of them every day.
One week later, we started introducing them to puppy kibbles, mashing them with hot water and mixing it with milk. Initially, it was a mess. There was food all over their face as well as on the floor, as seen in the photo below. However, as we taught them not to put their paws in the food bowl and put them into the cage after eating so they don’t poop and pee everywhere, life became more manageable for us.
Undoubtedly, we struggled at the start. It was tough sleeping at 1-2am and waking up to their cries at 5-6am every day. However, seeing the puppies grow up, becoming more active and slowly starting to eat on their own over the days gave us immense satisfaction and happiness.
While fostering comes with many challenges, the worst part of fostering is saying goodbye. I fell in love with them the moment they came into my house, and it is almost impossible not to get attached, even though I only spent a few weeks with them. However, I am glad that I got a say in choosing their forever family, and this makes saying goodbye easier, knowing that my foster friends are now in the best possible permanent, loving home.
This article is brought to you by Lai Yi Jing. An aspiring journalist who can’t wait to share the world with you.
