Thank you for opening your heart and your home to a foster pet in need! Our goal is to make your fostering experience fulfilling and rewarding. We've tried to make this page as comprehensive as possible but if you can't find what you are looking for, feel free to email us at fostering@staytogetherfurever.org and we will respond as quickly as possible. If you have any general concerns about the health or behavior of your foster, email us at vetting@staytogetherfurever.org. If you are facing an emergency situation, please call and text Vet Director Nancy Clark immediately at 530-957-0184. If the emergency is after hours (i.e., 9 pm to 7 am) then call Vicki Chin at 678-468-5369.
Common STF Emails
BOD@staytogetherfurever.org – Group email for the board of directors
fostering@staytogetherfurever.org – For any non-emergency, foster-related questions or issues
supplies@staytogetherfurever.org – To request supplies for your foster
thanksfureverything@staytogetherfurever.org – For inquiries about our foster/volunteer appreciation program, including point balances and milestone rewards
transporthelp@staytogetherfurever.org – To request help transporting your foster to a vet appointment
vetting@staytogetherfurever.org – For inquiries about any vetting needs your foster may have while in your care (Note: if this is an emergency and your foster is sick or injured, text and call us at 678-680-3826).
volunteering@staytogetherfurever.org – For questions or concerns about volunteering with STF
FAQs for Dog Fosters
Preparing for your first foster 1. Make sure you have all the supplies you need to care for your foster. This includes food, bowls, leash, collar, harness, bedding, crate and/or dog gate, pee pads, etc. If you need any supplies, email supplies@staytogetherfurever.org. 2. Know where you will quarantine your foster for decompression time – for example, a bathroom, spare bedroom, laundry room, or basement (only if climate-controlled and finished). 3. Dog-proof your home. Pick up items lying around so they aren’t chewed. Look for wires that a dog can reach. If you have dogs, be sure to pick up any toys or treats lying around until you are sure all dogs are able to share. If you have cats, make sure their food and litter will be inaccessible to your foster. 4. Figure out where your foster will sleep at night. While some dogs are fine on their own, in general, dogs are social pack animals and prefer to be near you so, if possible, find a spot in your bedroom for a dog bed or crate with comfy bedding.
What to expect when you initially get your foster A volunteer transporter will bring your foster to you. If at all possible, it is best to allow the transporter to bring the dog into your home or back yard (if fenced) before making introductions. This will help minimize the chance of escape, especially if the dog isn't wearing a collar or harness. If the dog isn't wearing a collar, you will need to secure a collar on the dog, along with an STF identification tag and GPS tracker, as soon as you can. You will also need to activate the GPS tracker.
The importance of decompression and quarantine time Your foster will be confused and may be nervous at first. It is important to allow at least one week of decompression time for fully vaccinated/vetted dogs and at least two weeks for unvaccinated/vetted dogs. This means keeping your foster crated or penned and in a separate room away from other pets and people. Interactions with you should be limited to periodic potty breaks* and meal times. When interacting with your foster during this time period, speak in a calm and soothing tone of voice and keep any physical contact to a minimum. If your foster seeks out petting and attention, then you should of course provide it but be careful not to over-stimulate the dog – it can be very easy for roughhousing to quickly escalate to aggression until the dog knows and trusts you. *Potty breaks should be confined to your fully fenced backyard. If you don't have a fenced yard, be sure your foster is leashed to a secure collar (only two fingers should be able to fit under the collar) or a well-fitting harness and only leash-walk on your property.
Introducing your foster to your dogs or children Slow introductions are critical. Allow your foster to meet other dogs or children one at a time in a calm, quiet and secure environment. Carefully supervise each interaction. Ideally, once the initial excitement and/or nervousness passes, your foster will eventually get bored and sit or even lie down. This is exactly what you want to have happen. You want your foster to be comfortable enough to relax and chill. Keep in mind that you may need to repeat these supervised interactions over the next several hours or days before you can start to trust that your foster will integrate well with your dogs or children. We strongly recommend that you feed your foster separately from your other dogs. Dog fights are most likely to happen around high-value resources like food and treats. Toys can also provoke dog fights so we encourage you to only allow your personal and foster dogs access to toys when you can supervise their interactions. Also be sure to give your dog extra love and attention to avoid jealousy.
Introducing your foster to your cat We recommend that you wait several days before attempting to introduce your cat to your new foster. In the meantime, you can lay the groundwork for introductions by bringing something with your foster's scent on it (such as its bed or blanket) to your cat so it can get to know its scent. You can also bring something with your cat's scent on it for to your foster to smell. When you are ready to make the dog/cat introductions, start by confining your foster in a crate or pen and allow your cat to walk around and investigate. You may need to do this several times before your cat and foster become comfortable in each other's presence. Once you feel both pets are calm, you can leash the dog and let it out of its crate or pen. Be sure that your cat has an escape route such as a gate that the cat can jump over if it feels threatened. Don't tolerate any aggressive behavior from the dog and don't let the dog chase or corner the cat. Reward the dog for good behavior with positive praise and/or a treat. Be sure not to leave them together unsupervised until you can trust they can coexist peacefully. We strongly recommend that you find a way to barricade your foster dog from your cat's food bowl and litter box. Dogs can suffer from extremely bad diarrhea if they eat cat food or cat feces.
Housetraining and free run of your house Even if a pet parent says a dog is fully housetrained, there may be an adjustment period. Your foster is in a new environment, may not have had a predictable walk schedule, and you won't know when the dog needs to relieve itself. The best approach to housetraining is to keep your foster in a restricted area at first, such as a crate, pen or small room. Establish a frequent potty schedule that includes lots of praise when your foster does its business outside. If your foster consistently keeps its confined area clean and relieves itself outside, then you can gradually start expanding its access to the rest of your home. We strongly recommend that, whenever you leave your house and your foster will be unsupervised, you confine your foster to a secure crate, pen or room. The last thing that you want to have happen is for a fight to break out between pets or for your foster to become destructive out of anxiety or boredom.
What to do if your foster dog escapes If you can still see your foster: The first rule is do NOT run after them! Your first instinct is to chase after the dog. The dog may think this is a game. Do NOT do this as it only makes him/her keep running further and faster. Instead, remain calm and use a welcoming tone. Again, you must work against your instincts. Although you’ll want to scream and yell for the dog, resist the urge and try to keep a cool head. You don’t want to add to the excitement or fear the dog is experiencing or make him or her think that you’re angry. Call the dog's name in a high, happy voice and make kissing or clicking noises while you turn, as if you’re going in the opposite direction. Try running away to encourage the dog to chase you. If this doesn't work, try squatting or even dropping flat on the ground to entice the dog to come closer to see what you are doing. If the dog keeps running away, pay close attention to which direction the dog is going. When your dog is out of sight: Go inside to get some good-smelling treats and a leash. If you don't have any treats, then grab any plastic container that, when you shake it, will rattle and sound like a bag of treats. Grab your phone and activate your GPS tracker. If your foster is friends with one of your personal dogs, take that dog on a leashed walk with you as you try to locate your lost dog. If you are unsuccessful in finding and catching your foster, then quickly notify your neighbors, your neighborhood association or apartment complex, and social networking apps such as Nextdoor, about your missing foster. Instruct everyone that if they see the dog, they should call you and not give chase. Groups of people out “searching” is more of a hindrance than a help. Many dogs will not go to strangers and will instead run and hide. Create a scent trail from your home to the last known sighting location. The dirtier and smellier the scent items, the better – for example, used pee pads, dog bedding or toys, even your own dirty laundry. If you can, leave your garage door or fence gate open. Sometimes an escapee will return to the familiar yard once the allure of running free wanes and the dog gets hungry or cold. As soon as you can, notify STF by texting and calling 678-680-3826. If the GPS tracker indicates that the dog is hiding, we can set up a trapping station close to the dog's location. If it turns out that the GPS tracker has fallen off the dog, we can help you with printing and posting flyers around the dog's last known location, as well as contacting your local animal control and notifying lost-pet databases.
How is regular vetting handled? Before we commit to helping a dog in need, we will work to obtain the dog's latest vetting history. If the dog is already spayed or neutered and fully up-to-date (including rabies, distemper, bordatella, and heartworm test, as well as a supply of heartworm prevention provided by the pet parent), then no vetting will be needed while the dog is in your care unless the dog becomes sick or injured. However, if the dog isn't up-to-date, isn't already spayed or neutered, or will be coming due for vaccines or heartworm testing/prevention while under STF care, we will arrange a vet appointment at a day/time convenient to you with one of our partner vets. When transporting your foster dog, it is important to secure the dog in a crate or seat belt harness. This will protect the dog in case you need to slam on your brakes. It also minimizes the chance of the dog unexpectedly jumping out when you open your car door. If you are unable to drive your foster to its vet appointment, we will do our best to find a volunteer transporter to assist you.
What if my foster gets sick or injured? If you have an emergency situation, call and text us immediately at 678-680-3826. Emergency situations include: severe injury (hit by car or attack by an animal), excessive bleeding, multiple seizures, ingestion of a toxin (human medication, antifreeze, rat poison, etc.), facial swelling, difficulty breathing, heat stroke, extreme lethargy, inappetence, severe upper respiratory infection, diarrhea lasting for more than 24 hours or vomiting for more than 12 hours (along with inappetence and/or lethargy), a swollen belly that is painful to the touch. When in doubt, contact the STF emergency line.
How to break up a dog fight The first instinct is to grab a collar, any collar, and pull to try to separate the dogs. Do NOT do this -there is a risk of you getting bitten. Instead, keep a spray water bottle or a sealed container full of coins handy. Use one or both of these to try to distract the dogs from fighting, while telling them “no” in an angry tone of voice. As soon as you can safely do so, separate the two dogs so they are no longer in sight of one another and leave them alone until they have fully calmed down. Be sure to carefully supervise the next few interactions. If you see hackles rising, then continue to keep the dogs separated.
FAQs for Cat Fosters
Preparing for your first foster 1. Make sure you have all the supplies you need to care for your foster. This includes food, bowls, leash, collar, bedding, carrier, litter box and litter, etc. If you need any supplies, email supplies@staytogetherfurever.org. 2. Know where you will isolate your foster for decompression time – for example, a small bathroom, spare bedroom, or laundry room. The smaller and less-cluttered the room, the better. 3. Cat-proof your home. ▪ Keep cleaners and chemicals locked away in safe places ◦ Put human medication out of reach (cats especially like the taste of Adderal) ◦ Some topical dog flea preventatives may be harmful to cats (read the label). If you have this type of dog flea preventative, do NOT use it on your dog while you have cats in your home. ◦ Many essential oils can be harmful to cats ◦ Some plants, including lilies, can harm cats ◦ Antifreeze is poisonous to cats ◦ Some cats can open drawers and cabinets so consider child locks ◦ Cats love such items as string, tinsel, garland, ribbons, holiday ornaments, rubber bands, hair ties, dental floss, and cords ◦ Lit candles and hot stoves can be household hazards around cats ◦ Plastic bags and garment bags can be choking or hanging hazards ◦ Cats love to hide! Keep air ducts covered. Keep appliances securely closed (e.g., ovens, dishwashers, refrigerators, clothes washers and dryers). Cover any holes in your walls, especially those behind cabinets or appliances. ◦ The following foods can be toxic to cats: onions, garlic, chocolate, avocados, nuts, alcohol, xylitol, caffeinated beverages, grapes, raisins, raw meat, fish, dough, or eggs, and excessive meat fat.
What to expect when you initially get your foster A volunteer transporter will bring your foster to you. The cat will be in a secure carrier. Carry the cat, still in its carrier, inside your home and into the room you have designed as its isolation area. A new cat may need up to two weeks to transition into a new home, especially if there are other animals. A small room, such as a spare bathroom, works well since the cat will feel more comfortable in a small space. With the door of the isolation room securely closed, open the cat carrier and let the cat venture out on its own when ready. It may take a little time. The cat will be less frightened if it isn't dragged or spilled out of the carrier. Give the cat a few minutes to explore the room. Don't provide food for at least an hour so the cat can become comfortable in its new environment. Leave the room and give the cat time alone to explore. After an hour, check on the cat periodically. If the cat isn't wearing a collar, you will need to secure a collar on the cat, along with an STF identification tag and GPS tracker, as soon as you can. You will also need to activate the GPS tracker. Please note that breakaway collars are safest for cats. Since cats tend to climb, they can get hung up on things; breakaway collars will allow them to break loose if they get stuck and thereby avoid injury. However, this means that the ID tag and GPS tracker could easily be lost. Be sure to check the cat's collar frequently to ensure it is secure and not too loose. A loose collar can get stuck in a cat's mouth and cause them to panic. It is common for a cat to be frightened and not eat or drink the first couple of days in a new home. If this persists, however, the cat is the danger of dehydration and kidney failure and may need medical attention, so keep a close watch on its physical state. Use this isolation time to... - Take note if the cat is eating, drinking, and eliminating in the kitty litter. - Look the cat over for signs of health problems. - Let the cat become familiar with the scents of other animals in the house. - Grooming and acceptance of food are signs that your new cat is settling in and may be ready to meet other pets in the household.
The importance of decompression and quarantine time Your foster will be confused and may be nervous at first. It is important to allow at least one week of decompression time for fully vaccinated/vetted cats and at least two weeks for unvaccinated/vetted cats. This means keeping your foster contained in a separate room away from other pets and people. Interactions with you should be limited to periodic check-ins and meal times. When interacting with your foster during this time period, speak in a calm and soothing tone of voice and keep any physical contact to a minimum. If your foster seeks out petting and attention, then you should of course provide it but be careful not to over-stimulate the cat – it can be very easy for roughhousing to quickly escalate to aggression until the cat knows and trusts you.
Introducing your foster cat to your children Introduce your children to the cat one at a time in its isolation room. Be gentle, use a soft voice, and don't make any sudden moves. Let the cat come to them on its own. Show your children how to pet the cat gently. Always supervise young children around the cat, even after its isolation period is over.
Introducing your foster cat to your dogs Getting cats and dogs to be "friends" isn't always an easy task. It will take time and patience, so don't rush it. Important ways to help in this "getting to know you" period are... - Bring the dog's bed into the isolation room so cat can get to know its scent. - Bring the cat's bed out for the dog to smell. When you are ready to release your foster cat from its isolation room, be sure to first secure your dog either in a crate or baby-gated in a separate room. Allow your foster cat to walk around and investigate its new home. When introducing the cat and dog to one another, be sure to keep your dog firmly leashed while giving the cat an easy escape route, if needed. Don't tolerate any aggressive behavior from the dog and don't let the dog chase or corner the cat, even if it is being playful. Reward the dog for good behavior with a positive comment and/or a treat. Keep the dog separated until the cat feels safe in your home. Never leave your foster cat and dog alone together. Be sure to give your dog extra attention to avoid jealousy. If you have more than one dog, you should follow these steps one at a time with each dog separately.
Introducing your foster cat to other cats Spayed or neutered cats are usually more accepting of other cats. Still, there is a pecking order in a cat household, especially if there are multiple cats, so don't rush the “getting to know you” period. With time, the cats will accept one another, or even become friends. Be patient. Some tips for introducing cats to one another include: - Let your resident cat(s) sniff the new cat's carrier while your new cat is still confined. - Let the new cat become acquainted and comfortable with its isolation room. - Bring the empty cat carrier out into the living area for the other cat(s) to smell. - Bring the resident cat's bed into the isolation room so the new cat can get to know its scent. - Bring the new cat's bed out for the resident cat(s) to smell. - Isolate the resident cat(s) while the new cat walks around and investigates its new home. It's best to do this one room at a time and under your supervision. - Under your supervision, introduce your new cat to the others one at a time in a room where it has already become comfortable. - Let the cats become familiar with each other on their own terms. It will take time, so don't force it. Hissing is to be expected. - If a fight breaks out, either toss a blanket over one cat or squirt them both lightly with a spray of water. - Don't leave them alone together until long after the transition period and once you're convinced they're friends. - Do not disrupt the routine or your resident cats. Give them plenty of attention and treats for good behavior.
What to do if your foster cat escapes Foster cats should be kept indoors at all times. However, a resourceful cat can likely find a way to escape if it wants to. Cats can squeeze through surprisingly small openings. They can also knock out screens, and some will even jump off balconies (regardless of what floor you live on). Be sure to monitor your cat if windows are open in your home. If your foster cat goes missing, grab your phone and activate your GPS tracker. Be sure your cat isn't hiding somewhere inside your house. If the GPS tracker indicates that the cat has escaped, notify your neighbors, your neighborhood association, and social media apps such as Nextdoor. Instruct everyone that if they see the cat, they should call you and not give chase. Groups of people out “searching” is more of a hindrance than a help. Many cats will not go to strangers and will instead run and hide. As soon as you can, notify STF by texting and calling 678-680-3826. If the GPS tracker indicates that the cat is hiding, we can set up a trapping station close to the cat's location. If it turns out that the GPS tracker has fallen off the cat, we can help you with printing and posting flyers around the cat's last known location, as well as contacting your local animal control and notifying lost-pet databases.
How is regular vetting handled? Before we commit to helping a cat in need, we will work to obtain the cat's latest vetting history. If the cat is already spayed or neutered and fully up-to-date (including rabies, FVRCP and FeLV), then no vetting will be needed while the cat is in your care unless the cat becomes sick or injured. However, if the cat isn't up-to-date, isn't already spayed or neutered, or will be coming due for vaccines while under STF care, we will arrange a vet appointment at a day/time convenient to you with one of our partner vets. If you are unable to drive your foster to its vet appointment, we will do our best to find a volunteer transporter to assist you.
What if my foster gets sick or injured? If you have an emergency situation, call and text us immediately at 678-680-3826. Emergency situations include: severe injury (hit by car or attack by an animal), excessive bleeding, multiple seizures, ingestion of a toxin (human medication, antifreeze, rat poison, etc.), facial swelling, difficulty breathing, heat stroke, extreme lethargy, inappetence, severe upper respiratory infection, diarrhea lasting for more than 24 hours or vomiting for more than 12 hours (along with inappetence and/or lethargy), a swollen belly that is painful to the touch. When in doubt, contact the STF emergency line.
What is the safest way to transport a cat? The safest way to transport a cat is in a secure plastic carrier. It not only keeps them safe from escape, but also offers some protection from accidents, and may help a cat feel more secure. Be cautious of soft sided carriers without zipper locks as a determined cat can unzip them. Before leaving the house, double check that the carrier door is securely locked. If it isn’t shut all the way, the door can be knocked open and the cat can escape. Don't open the carrier door until the cat is in a secure interior space.
What are hairballs? Hairballs are a damp clump of undigested hair. They form in a cat’s stomach but can also develop in rabbits and cattle. Although the name hairball leads us to think they are shaped like a ball, they actually look more like a cigar or tube and are elongated in shape. Most ingested cat hair normally passes through a cat’s digestive tract and is eliminated in the litter box. However some ingested cat hair stays in the cat’s stomach and forms a hairball. Usually your cat will vomit a hairball in the stomach to get rid of it. Cats that vomit a hairball once a week or once every two weeks is fairly normal. Hairballs several times a week or daily indicate a problem. There are times a hairball can cause blockage in the throat, stomach or intestines which can be very dangerous to the cat. To reduce the frequency of hairballs in your cat: 1. Comb or brush your cat daily. This will reduce the amount of hair that will go into your cat’s stomach when he/she is self-grooming. 2. Feed your cat hairball-reduction cat food. 3. Use a hairball product or laxative specifically for cats. Most products contain petroleum jelly in the formula and encourage hairballs to pass through the digestive tract so they can be eliminated in the litter box. Follow the directions on the label carefully; usually, they suggest giving your cat a daily dose for a few days if he/she is having a lot of hairballs, then dose him about once a week as a preventive measure. 4. Your cat’s system needs to move regularly. A higher fiber diet, fewer empty-calorie snacks and a little more exercise may be what is needed to help a hairball problem. If your foster is experiencing ongoing gagging, vomiting, or hacking without producing a hairball; has a lack of appetite, low energy or constipation or diarrhea, contact STF immediately via phone and text at 678-680-3826. These symptoms can indicate your cat is experiencing intestinal blockage or another serious issue.
How to prevent cats from damaging your home To protect your furniture, offering multiple scratching posts, cat trees, or cardboard scratchers can help. If a cat isn’t interested in them, rubbing cat nip on appropriate scratching surfaces can encourage them to scratch where you want them to scratch. For inappropriate scratchers, putting aluminum foil or double-sided tape on the place you want to protect can discourage a cat. Once they have touched it a time or two, it can often be removed and they will remember that it’s not a fun place to scratch. If your cat is having “accidents” around the house and you have ruled out a urinary tract infection with a vet visit, try adding a litter box, having covered and uncovered options, using “cat attract” litter, moving the litter box to the place the cat has chosen (if it’s one consistent spot and a litter box can be placed there) and be sure to clean up all messes with a good enzyme cleaner like Nature’s Miracle to remove any traces of scent that may encourage them to reuse the spot. If all else fails, you may have to re-train the cat by putting them in a large wire crate or a small bathroom until they have gone one week without an accident then increase their boundaries.