Foster Cats In Massachusetts

Open Your Heart & Home to a Cat in Need

Thank you for your interest in fostering homeless cats for Black Cat Rescue! We will work with you to ensure a successful foster experience for you and the cat(s). Foster Volunteers are the heart and soul of Black Cat Rescue. All of our foster cats are cared for in foster homes as Black Cat Rescue does not operate a physical animal shelter. You can directly save cats’ lives by fostering.

At Black Cat Rescue, we are committed to helping cats who would otherwise have a hard time finding rescue/shelter/adoption placement, and thereby have a higher chance of being euthanized. While we prioritize black cats, we also take in senior cats, shy cats, and cats with medical and/or behavioral challenges. We are particularly in need of foster volunteers who are open to many of these categories, either having previous experience or an enthusiasm for learning with our support. By opening your home to a rescue cat, you are providing not only shelter but a healing, therapeutic environment and renewed chance at adoption for a cat in need.

Get started now by completing a Foster Volunteer Profile below. We can’t save lives without you!

Interested in volunteering but don’t want to host a cat or cats in your home? Please complete a Non-Foster Volunteer Profile.

Get Involved

Foster a cat or volunteer. Have questions before you commit? Fill out the form below or contact us for more information.

Contact Us

Fostering For Black Cat Rescue

As a Black Cat Rescue Foster Volunteer, you will care for a homeless cat or cats in your home until the cat is adopted. Foster Volunteers are responsible for providing a safe and loving home and communicating regularly with Black Cat Rescue.  We provide veterinary care and have limited supplies for volunteers who cannot afford these. The average amount of time a cat is in foster care is 2.1 months. Potential adopters will meet cats available for adoption virtually and/or in your home.

Here are some important questions to ask yourself and those in your household before committing to foster a cat with Black Cat Rescue:

  • On average, it is best to spend at least 2 hours a day with your foster cat(s). Socialization and learning the cat’s personality is just as important as feeding them and keeping them clean.

  • We hope that emergencies don’t happen, but sometimes they do. We ask that foster volunteers identify their nearest emergency veterinary service and transport the cat(s) via a vehicle (either personal car or rideshare).

  • If something unexpected happens, you will need to inform us right away of an early foster return.

  • If foster volunteers can provide supplies (litter, litter box, food, toys, cat beds etc.) that is preferred, as it means our limited financial resources can be spent on the medical needs of our cats. However, we do receive donations that can be used to support foster volunteers if needed.

  • Black Cat Rescue covers approved veterinary care, medications, and prescription foods, along with reasonable emergency veterinary care. Foster volunteers must communicate promptly about any medical concerns. Black Cat Rescue will coordinate non-emergency treatment.

  • They must go through Black Cat Rescue’s regular adoption process.

  • It can be difficult to let go once you have become emotionally attached.

  • This can be very difficult, but the sad truth is that it occasionally happens.

  • Black Cat Rescue offers guidance, resources, and ongoing support and asks that foster volunteers communicate concerns early so we can help. Communication is a key aspect of fostering with us.

  • Foster cats can ruin furniture, flooring, and clothing. Black Cat Rescue will not be held responsible for any damage incurred while fostering a cat.

  • Black Cat Rescue foster cats must remain isolated from your resident pets for a minimum of seven days. Can you keep them in an enclosed area away from your animals?

Foster Volunteer Profile

Thank you for your interest in becoming a Black Cat Rescue Foster Volunteer! Please fill out the profile below. Black Cat Rescue does not have a physical shelter, so our foster homes are absolutely essential to our mission to save cats in need.