Last summer, I found a 4 week old kitten which had either been left alone by her mother, or had been left on the side of the road by someone who didn’t want her. She was so tiny and fragile, I felt that it was my calling to care for her since I found her.
There are so many other kittens who are abandoned each Spring/Summer season. Please consider being a temporary foster parent to new born kittens during this crucial Spring season until the Washington Humane Society finds them permanent homes.. The commitment time is no more than 10 -12 weeks. There will be a special Kitten orientation this Sunday, April 1st at 3:00 p.m.
These kittens will steal your hearts – they have so much energy and are so fun to play with and to cuddle – I urge you to look into this great way of giving back!
How to become a foster parent
During this crucial spring season, the Washington Humane Society is searching for volunteer foster parents to help foster litters of kittens until they are ready to be adopted into permanent homes.
Foster parenting is an opportunity to make a difference in an animal’s life, especially during this time of year when both our shelters receives numerous litters of kittens every week. We are looking for caring individuals who are willing to donate their time and open their hearts and homes to help raise a litter of kittens until they are ready to be adopted into their forever homes.
To be a foster care parent, volunteer foster parents will need to go through an orientation/training process. A special kitten orientation will be held this Sunday, April 1st at 3:00 p.m., and a second orientation for interested dog and cat foster parents will be held in May. Please: We need participants to register in advance! Please contact Eleanor Blackford, 202-723-5730 x208, Eblackford@washhumane.org to register
Animals are placed in foster care until they are adopted into permanent homes, so there is an indefinite time commitment. Under normal circumstances, kittens are available for adoption at 8 weeks. As an example, if they are born at the shelter, and adopted as early as possible, then the time commitment would be no more than 10-12 weeks
Foster parents will place the kittens and the mother in permanent homes with the support of the WHS adoptions staff to determine the best match for their foster animals. Foster parents are trained to care for the nursing mother and her kittens until the kittens are weaned and old enough to be spayed or neutered. Young kittens are recommended to be placed in pairs to entertain each other, so often times the mother is adopted with one of these pairs
WHS will place an ad on www.washhumane.org and petfinder.org, and provide foster parents with other resources to use to advertise foster animals. All animals are evaluated by a veterinarian before leaving the
shelter, and will be placed in their permanent homes after they have been spayed/neutered at the WHS Spay/Neuter Clinic at no cost to the foster parent.WHS staff will be available every step of the way to aid foster parents in the fostering process!
Please contact Volunteer and Foster Program Manager, Eleanor Blackford, 202-723-5730 x208, Eblackford@washhumane.org to learn more about becoming a Washington Humane Society foster parent, or to register for the upcoming kitten foster orientation/training.
