Foster care programs remove cats from stressful shelter environments, dramatically improving welfare outcomes particularly for kittens, sick cats, and those with special behavioral needs.
Shelter environments are inherently stressful for cats, particularly for vulnerable populations including neonatal kittens, sick or injured cats, and behaviorally sensitive individuals. Foster care removes these animals to home environments where they receive individualized attention, lower disease exposure, and the ability to exhibit normal behaviors including play, exploration, and social interaction. The welfare improvement from foster care compared to shelter housing is substantial, and foster programs represent one of the most impactful welfare interventions shelters can implement.