Does anyone know of any long-term temporary fostering charities?

saver6

I'm shortly to move to Australia for a year and am desperately looking for help from everywhere I can find. Basically, I need to re-home my 2 cats and would prefer to eventually have them back when we return. If I absolutely must, then I will get them permanently re-homed, but that is plan B. If there's any way we can get our two cats back in a year, we'd very much like to do that. They're very friendly and adapt easily, even though I know it's pretty selfish of us to upheave them like this. Our cats will be happy in any home as they love people and cuddles, but we would want them back as they are family after all. I would be more than happy to pay for food and insurance for that year.

Anyone know of anywhere that could help? We've been asking round friends and family but people either can't keep them at all or already have too many cats to consider taking any more on, and re-homing places seem to only take animals for permanent rehoming. I'm in the Hertfordshire area.

Many thanks.

hethmar

I can understand how you feel, but would it be fair on the cats and you and the fosterers? They would be settled in a year wouldnt they?

You could try ringing the Cats Protection League to see if they have any info but it would be difficult to care for a cat as a fosterer I would think, not like a dog who only goes out when you take it. Hmm, a worry for you I can see that ..............Good luck.

925dancer

I had someone foster my two when I was away, a friend of a friend. This was for 6 months.

It was unexpected that it was this long and I have to say my little boy cat has never been quite the same since, he was still a kitten really, not quite a year old and he obviously developed away from where he was going when he was with me which is sad and a bit heartbreaking for me.

I wouldn't leave them again, I have now made the choice that if they can't come with me I don't go.

As to organisations that offer long term fostering? I don't know of any and I'm pretty knowledgeable on rescues etc (know a fair few who run and volunteer and I have fostered myself in the past).

tiz

Charities are only going to help for issues like going into hospital or being made homeless, not because you're temporarily moving a abroad. You'd need to look at a cattery or homeboarder, they may do discount rates for long term boarding but it will probably still work out quite expensive.

saver6

I've done a phone round to charities and they also recommend trying catteries for that. We checked and it's really quite expensive to do that, even with discounted rate. However last night a friend who lives about 30 miles away may just have come to my rescue as he saw how upset I was getting over it all. He's checking with his lodger today that he doesn't have any allergies, but said he'd be happy to look after them if he can. I'm really crossing my fingers on this one... I'll be overjoyed to know they're going to a friend when so many others said they couldn't take them on.