Why Foster a Cat
When you foster a cat, you’re helping more than the kitty in your home. You’re making room for the next cat or kitten who needs us.
That extra space is powerful. National data from Best Friends Animal Society shows that shelters with robust foster programs have higher adoption rates than those without. Foster homes give cats a comfortable place to wait for adoption while freeing shelter space and staff resources for animals who need more intensive care.
We’re seeing that impact right here at SAFE Haven.
We’re seeing that impact right here at SAFE Haven. In the first 4 months after relaunching our foster program in June 2026, 174 cats and kittens spent time in foster care, and nearly 75% (125 kitties) were adopted.
When writing this article in October 2026, SAFE Haven had 70 active foster families (and SH staff) with 32 fosters currently in care and 38 ready and willing to take a placement when needed. Our goal is to have 100 total foster volunteers ready to take a kitty by the end of 2026.
More fosters willing to open their homes means more cats SAFE Haven can help. When a cat stays with a foster family, our veterinary team can focus on cats who need the most medical attention. It also gives us more flexibility when a local shelter or community member reaches out about a cat in urgent need of help. Even when our shelter is full, an available foster home can give us another way to support our community.
One of the best things about fostering a cat is getting to know who they really are. Does your foster love watching birds through the window? Follow you around while you work? Have a favorite toy? Prefer a quiet home? What you learn can help us find the perfect adopter for them. Some cats can even be adopted directly from their foster homes by the foster, a family member, or friends in their close circle! All SAFE Haven adoptions, whether from foster or in the traditional shelter setting, follow our established approval and cat selection processes; however, fosterers can help find their foster cat a great home by using their personal networks to share and facilitate an adoption.
Fostering brings our work into the community. Every foster family becomes part of a larger network that shares cats, tells their stories, and introduces more people to SAFE Haven’s mission. That means more people discovering adoption, volunteering, fostering, and other ways to help cats in our community.
Simply put: More foster homes, more cats rescued. Your spare room can save a life!
We’ve Made Fostering Easier
You don’t need to be an experienced cat caregiver to foster with SAFE Haven. One of the biggest changes to our foster program is a renewed focus on placing healthy, otherwise adoptable cats in foster homes, where they can wait until it is their chance to meet their forever family. This lets fosterers of all skill levels get involved right away and gives our cats a chance to practice living the housecat life before their eventual adoption. SAFE Haven prioritizes foster placements for cats who need a comfortable temporary home, daily attention and care, and someone to help prepare them for their future family.
As you get to know your foster cat, you can help us tell their story, share their personality, and introduce them to potential adopters in your circle. While SAFE Haven handles the adoption process, you become one of their biggest advocates. We even encourage you to be a “Cat-fluencer” and create social content to help your kitty get adopted faster!
We’ve also made it easier to find foster opportunities that work for you. Our application asks in-depth questions about your experience, home, schedule, and the types of cats you’re most comfortable fostering. We use that information to match you with cats that fit your preferences and availability so that you won’t be inundated with emails about fosters you’re not interested in or able to take. And with foster orientation offered multiple times a month, you can get started the same week you apply!
Best of all, you’ll have support every step of the way. SAFE Haven has a dedicated Foster Coordinator to answer questions, provide guidance, and help you feel confident caring for your foster cat. You provide the temporary home; we’ll help with the rest!
What Makes a Great Foster Volunteer?
You don’t need previous shelter experience, a veterinary degree, or a perfect home. Great foster volunteers are willing to learn, follow care instructions, communicate with our team, and be honest about what they can take on. And you don’t need to have constant availability to offer foster support. Vacations, busy seasons, and breaks are expected; that’s why we aim to recruit a large, flexible foster community!
Our best foster volunteers are people who communicate with us, are honest about what they can take on, pay attention to their foster cat’s needs, and are willing to learn along the way. We also appreciate flexibility because, as every cat person knows, cats don’t always follow the plan! Most importantly, you don’t have to figure it out on your own. Our Foster Coordinator helps match you with the right cat, provides guidance, and will be there for you when you inevitably have questions.
And remember, every foster can leave a lasting impact on SAFE Haven’s overall adoption success with every placement they take on. While “foster fails” make for sweet stories, only about 15% of SAFE Haven foster cats were adopted directly from their foster homes. For many volunteers, the joy of fostering lies in helping one cat find their forever family, then opening their home to the next cat who needs a temporary place to land.
More Ways to Foster
Although we prioritize sending cats ready for adoption into foster, we do often need volunteers interested in taking on more challenging (and rewarding!) placements. SAFE Haven also needs help fostering cats with medical and socialization needs. These cats may need medication, additional monitoring, or extra help building confidence and learning to trust people. Additional training is required, but SAFE Haven provides individualized guidance and support along the way. Helping a cat blossom in foster care can be one of the most rewarding volunteer experiences you’ll have!
Ready to Foster a Cat?
Getting started is easy. SAFE Haven offers foster orientation weekly to help new volunteers get involved while they’re excited and ready. Whether you foster one cat, open your home a few times a year, or become a regular foster volunteer, you’re helping create space for another cat who needs SAFE Haven.
Apply to become a SAFE Haven for Cats foster volunteer today.
Meet Foster Volunteers Making a Difference Right Now
The Cats Who Were Never Mine to Keep.
🐱 They brought 37 cats into their home. But only TWO got to stay. Why?
Since 2023, SAFE Haven foster parents Kandice Scarberry and her husband have opened their home to 37 cats and kittens. There have been adorable moments, sleepless nights, heartbreaking goodbyes, and two cats they just couldn’t let go. But what Kandice shares about the other 35 cats might completely change how you think about fostering.
Ready to Change a Cat's Life?
Apply to be a foster and we will be in touch with next steps and for the entire journey.
