“Foster home” practice?

(In the lack of a better term, I will be using the term “foster” which has mainly been in use in rescue-type situations)

Foster home practice is widely in use in Finland, but not yet very popular in other countries. In foster home practice the breeder still has the ownership of a cat after they move to their forever homes with the purpose of having them take part in the breeding program in the future. By using the foster home practice cats can live their life at their one forever home rather than have to move to another place after retiring from the breeding program. The practice also enables breeding without increasing the amount of cats in breeders home to ensure the wellbeing of every individual. Foster home work is a valuable tool for ethical breeding.

Female foster

What does it mean in practice?

A Female foster is a cat who will in the future be a dam to a litter/litters. Most commonly the contract is for 1-2 litters and comes to an end after the litter count has been met. It is also common to define an age when the contract expires even if the litter count hasn’t been met. When considering on a female you should take into account that you’re committing to taking care of the kittens until they are ready to move to their forever homes. This can be challenging and varying at times but also you get to see the kittens develop and grow from the very start! The breeder’s responsibility is to make decisions regarding kitten care and act as support and help for the home during the kitten project. The financial responsibility of kittens and veterinary visits regarding female’s reproductive health belongs to the breeder. In rare cases it can be agreed on that the female moves into the care of the breeder for the duration of the kitten project, however this might not be the best practice from the cat’s point of view.

Male foster

What does it mean in practice?

A male foster is a cat who will in the future be a sire to a litter/litters. In most cases the contract for a male foster is for 1-2 litters and as in females also males typically have a defined age when the contract expires. Having a male foster can be easier, you get to be a part of a kitten project from the dad cat’s point of view. That being said, living with an intact male can be a challenge on it’s own, since they can have territorial behaviour like spraying and being vocal. Luckily there are multiple solutions, such as superlorin-implant (temporary chemical castration) which can help with the undesired behaviour. The expenses directly involved in breeding are the breeders responsibility (e.g health testing)

Herzlichkeits- foster homes

We are in constant search of responsible and reliable foster homes. If you are interested, be sure to think about taking up a foster cat thoroughly and don’t hesitate to contact if you have any thoughts or questions! The foster home practice is founded on mutual transparency and trust so before taking a foster cat you should communicate about your future plans, capabilities, hopes and dreams regarding the possible cooperation. This practice demands flexibility on both parties and it is best to be on same page about everything to ensure a smooth collaboration!