Fostering

[chrissycat21]

I'm thinking of fostering small animals...Most likely guinea pigs.

Do any of you foster animals? (I'm sure some of you do) What are the good things and the bad? I'm sure I"ll be so attached to the animal that I'll end up adopting...

First my parents will have to agree. They both said 'Possibly'. There are some guinea pig rescues close to my home that house their guinea pigs only in foster homes.

I'd love to help a shelter in some way. I'm too young to volenteer by my self so I thought fostering could be a good way to help out.

[animal_rescue]

hey! I foster guinea pigs and it's great! I'm getting 2 from the humane society in a couple of weeks and 2 are coming tonight! One has a home, she is leaving this weekend(I've had her for about 2 weeks now and she's very friendly)

[jenluckenbach]

I foster cats. I love it!
It is good because you have the enjoyment of their company. You are helping an animal that has no one to care for it.
It is hard because you have to say good bye.
It can sometimes become expensive.

But all in all, I would say the good out weighs the bad 100 fold.

[BCBlondie]

I'm a kitten foster. I foster underage kittens and keep them until they're old enough to get fixed and adopted. It depends on the animal... I know puppies are a lot more work!! Kittens are actually not too hard to take care of if they're already 4+ weeks. If you already have guinea pigs, or you know how to take care of them, I don't think it would be a problem.

Bad things about fostering:
There is no bad! The only thing is that it CAN be hard to let go of them. I ended up keeping my all of my very first fosters!! (Ilio and Lali)
Sometimes it can also get a little expensive since you have to buy them food and stuff... (the rescue I foster for pays the vet bills though)

Good luck!!

[Jods]

Hey
You are all so lucky to be able to foster... When I get my own house I'm going to foster cats probably... I'll have a hard time seeing them go though and I think I might be to picky on their new owners lol.... I wou;d be so happy to see them get loving homes...Godd luck with fostering!!

[aly]

I have had countless fosters. I'm almost never without one - all cats and dogs though. I foster orphaned kittens and puppies, geriatric dogs, abandoned cats so they don't have to go to the kill shelter, sick dogs, and adolescent dogs in need of behavioral training. It is rewarding, but very very tiring (dogs especially). I imagine guinea pigs won't be quite as time consuming or tiring, especially if they are adult piggies.

I would definately suggest doing it if your parents both say yes. Just remember to pace yourself and not take on too much at once. It is very easy to get burnt out in rescue work.

[Desert Arabian]

I fostered ratties before, I currently do not have any fosters right now. When I move out and settle into my new life I plan on having many fosters!

[Logan]

Fostering is a wonderful thing to do! I'm so glad that you are considering it, and starting out with small animals is a great idea! I help out with rescue, and I have fostered several dogs. The last one stayed (our Zipper), so we have no more room to do fostering, except in an emergency. I think I'm best at transporting and phone interviews, but rescue groups need help in many different ways. There are a lot of people here at Pet Talk who are involved in rescue in many different facets, all of them very worthwhile.

Best of luck to you, and I hope you will keep us posted.

Logan

[Aspen and Misty]

Well I own my own rescue, so of course I foster.

I at the moment am Fostering 2 rabbits. It's wonderful. I have had 5 cats, 2 ducks and 50 rabbits come through my home and I've enjoyed every moment of it! Watching them go from what they were to what they are is a wonderful experince.


Ashley

[smokey the elder]

Fostering is very rewarding. I've been fostering cats and kittens for 4 years, and often take in "projects" (abused or unsocialized older kittens and adults.) The toughest part is placing a "project" I've worked with for a year, but they often bond really strongly to the new parent.

[chrissycat21]

Thanks for all your replies everyone! The thing is, I talked with my parents and we decided that right now its not going to work out. Right now I'm busy with my own pets for the most part and school work. Plus, I'm sure I wouldn't be able to let them go and then have so many other pets (parents don't want that) Plus, for Snowy and Taffy it wouldn't be fair if I am taking more time away from them for other pets.

Sadly, that is what I have come to but when I do get more pets I will be adopting. Fostering will possibly be in the future, but I just don't feel I would be fair to Snowy and Taffy right now. I really do hope I can help those shelter animals, but for now I would just like to help my animals. I haven't been the best pet owner in the past years, and I just want to make sure that for the rest of my pet's years I am the best.

[wolfie]

Originally posted by chrissycat21
I'm thinking of fostering small animals...Most likely guinea pigs.

I would LOVE to foster guinea pigs someday too!