Actually, this isn't true 'foster' care. You are actually trying to board your cats for a year, and have offered only to cover their expenses. I'd recommend that you offer to pay for their boarding as well. Check with rescue groups, offer to make a large donation to the group (several thousand) for their care for a year, and you will probably get some interest. Otherwise, what advantage would there be to any org or foster home in caring for your cats for a year, when there are cats without homes whom they could be caring for during that time?

When someone says they'll be gone for a year......possibly longer or shorter.....that doesn't sound like a 'temporary' situation.

Why not just take them to Spain with you?

Here is a link that might be useful: moving pets to Spain

Cynthia: unfortunately i don't have "several thousand dollars" to donate to a charity.

And Annz: I cannot take them to Spain with me as I will be travelling during this time.

How long will your friend be traveling? Can you board the cats until she returns? She should be willing to work something out with you, since she left you in such an awful predicament!

Sorry I wasn't clear on my point. It isn't really a donation, it's payment for boarding your cats. I just fail to understand why you think someone would care for your cats for free for a year unless they were a very close friend willing to do you the favor because of that relationship. Best of luck.

I agree. Who would want to care for and get attached to someone else's cats and then hand them over when you return? There are way too many cats and kittens who need rescuing and foster care. I don't think you'll get any takers. Good luck.

I would recommend rehoming them. You can adopt new cats when you return.

A year is a long commitment. I understand you have the best intentions for your cats, but it is going to be hard to do something in the last minute
I do not think you will have takers for "food and litter" only. Cats poo, shed and scratch and require a certain amount of maintenance...
Vets will board for a fee...maybe given a long period of time, a vet will be willing to board at a cheaper rate?
Rehoming at the last minute might be hard, but worth trying and could be the best option...As long as you are not sending them to a kill shelter..While doing rescue, I have seen one too many people who loved their cats "oh so much" and ended up sending their pets to Animal Services for the "lack of options". No such thing as a lack of options.

Asking a rescue group to foster is wrong in this case...I foster cats and kittens at a time, and these are cats who came from AS death row or the streets. Space is limited, and two cats one would board for a year could mean taking the place of 20 that could be fostered and saved in this period of time....

Best of luck. I hope you can find a friend who could help, or a rescue group who would rehome them for you - donate the litter and cat food to them as a thank you, they sure will appreciate.

Gosh, what a tough situation. I hope you find someone to take your cats. Good luck.

I think it is rather heartless to be so glib about someone's pets (Who would want to care for and get attached to someone else's cats and then hand them over when you return? ;I would recommend rehoming them. You can adopt new cats when you return.). She asked for fosters, not advice. I am sure she has measured the other options.

elly,
despite trying many avenues, no one has stepped forward. I would think only a really true friend would agree to foster for an entire year.

I think with time looming, rehoming is a valid solution to a no-win situation for the OP or the kitties.

I don't know if this would work or not, but one of the cats I adopted 10 years ago was being fostered by a woman who was part of the Cascade Animal Protection Society (CAPS). She brought the kittens/cats she was fostering to an event being held where people could adopt kittens/cats.

I'm wondering if you could connect with an agency or some group who does fostering and make a deal with them that you'll pay for everything, plus give them an amount of $$ as a thank you, with the understanding that you will take them back upon your return. Perhaps offer to check in, like via e-mail, weekly, to make sure everything is working out fine, that your cats are healthy and fitting in, etc.

People who foster animals love them as much as we love our own pets. Perhaps someone out there will be able to generous enough to help you out.

My thanks to Elly for your compassion and the realization that most everyone on this post has been less than helpful and more judgemental.

To the naysayers: this is obviously a very difficult situation for me. My plans fell through and this is NOT my ideal outcome but I am making do with the resources I have available to me. I was hoping this site would be able to offer some advice (and don't get me wrong, many of you have and I appreciate it), but telling me to get rid of my cats and snide remarks such as "Who would want to care for and get attached to someone else's cats and then hand them over when you return?" are completely unnecessary. It is very easy to sit and judge from behind a computer screen. Maybe think about the situation before posting responses.

That being said an old friend has kindly offered to take them in after I told everyone and anyone I know that I was looking for a foster home (BOARDER home for those of you who will correct me). Believe it or not some people are just compassionate and love animals and are willing to help out a friend. I'm very happy with this outcome, even happier than the original plan, so everything has worked itself out nicely.

As I said before, to those who gave me sound advice I TRULY do appreciate it. This forum has provided a wealth of information and advice to me in the past and I refuse to let a few negative people ruin that. (And FYI I have seen this in other threads, not just this one and often by the same posters.)

Thanks again!

Good news! Thanks for the update. And to be clear, I was not judging. I know how hard this situation was for you, and it was a tough situation to solve.

It is very easy to sit and judge from behind a computer screen. Maybe think about the situation before posting responses.

I am VERY happy it worked out for you. BUT, everyone here gave a very reasonable and sound advice to an otherwise difficult situation

I am glad you could find a friend, and that is what people were suggesting.

Boarding at a vet costs 8-15 dollars a day ....
Fostering at a rescue for such a long time takes away from animals that truly need it. I know because I do rescue, and currently have 14 foster kittens and 2 foster adults. MOST came from Animal Control and they all would have been euthanized by now.

I care and so do other posters here. I care more about cats more than one can imagine. And sure, if I were closer, I could be concerned enough to offer to foster for you, but mind you, it is at least 10 cats I could have saved otherwise giving the space and time

Re-homing is not a cruel option, but a rather realistic one. Cats will get used to the new house and new temp owner only to change their surroundings again...Sometimes, it not about us, but rather about the animals themselves.

Just to summarize, people here were helpful and realistic..They gave the most honest options: boarding costs money, asking a rescue to temp foster is unfair, and your best bet is to find friends who can help.

And I am glad it worked!

I am so glad you were helped by a friend.

Olyagrove: you are no help, and if I ever look for any on this forum, please do not offer advice, because you are not doing a good job even now. Enough.

Olyagrove. I completely agree with you. To ask a rescue group to babysit cats for a year is going way too far considering the resources available to them. This amount of time would be best used to take care of the many cats and kittens who otherwise would be killed. Katchus.. I am glad you found a home for your cats with a friend. I am sure this is the result you looked for and will ease your mind. I am glad it worked out for you and your cats will be much happier. We are all FOR the animals . They come first.

Oh, sorry elly - what did I say that upset you?! Did not intend to, please explain

thanks!
Olya

Elly, dear...I am scratching my head, going over and over my message...trying to see where I went wrong and was mean - I am a very NON confrontational type... honestly!

Please, and I mean it, what is it that stoke the cord? What different did I say from the rest of the posters? I felt that posters were nice and honest in their answers to the OP, I truly did

But sure, point taken, I will avoid answering your threads, as requested

Still puzzled, and thank you if you can help me understand. I enjoy this forum and would hate for anyone to spoil it, and would not want to spoil it for others either

To the OP: Sorry to take away from your thread. Yes, it is great things have worked out

Thanks!

Thank goodness you found somebody to take them! I can't imagine how stressful the last few days have been for you...

No worries olyagrove. The purpose of the thread has been served!

Thank you all for your kind wishes.

Wow, so that person was supposed to foster your cats and then called you two days before and told you she is bailing out on you 'for travel plans of her own.' At least she had the decency to contact you and tell you, that, she couldn't foster, and you didn't end up suffering as these people did (click the link which I posted below). Since after reading that it made me really sad to know there are people who claim to devote their lives to animal and who act like this. Please make sure you don't sit around and wait for someone, in the event you find another trustworthy individual or rescue group, which is willing to foster.

I realize this article was posted a few years ago but I must warn everyone DON'T USE CRAIGSLIST to find a foster! There are a ton of horror stories about ppl fostering to someone on cl. Unless its an extremely reputable individual and you must research their credentials extremely well before hand.

Always keep in mind that you can pay a boarding fee at the vet as a last resort. If you can afford to travel you can afford to pay the boarding fee.

Good luck in the future

Here is a link that might be useful: http://www.ripoffreport.com/r/mary-thingelstad/miami-beach-florida-33139-2521/mary-thingelstad-beware-of-mary-thingelstad-miami-beach-florida-1204743

This post was edited by Gina_curtis on Fri, Jan 30, 15 at 15:56