Thank you so very much for volunteering your time and energy!

Cats who come

from shelters need care and love. Your efforts will make an important difference to your
foster feline(s)!

Your Responsibilities:
● Feed, care for, groom, photograph and sometimes medicate fosters.
● Provide descriptive information to your Adoption Coordinator for the website
● Ensure the cat/kitten’s safety and respond to the animal’s needs.
● Ensure that your own companion animals are current on vaccinations and are
spayed/neutered and are on flea preventatives (for cats going outdoors or dogs).
● Act as a PetConnect Rescue representative and attend adoption events. Be a
contact person for potential adopters and allow them to visit with your foster cat.

Adoption Coordinator:

An Adoption Coordinator (AC) will be assigned to you. They are your primary contact
and will work with you every step of the way. The Adoption Coordinator will help you to
find the right kittens/cat to foster, provide supplies as needed, post pictures and
descriptions of your foster on our website, screen applicants, oversee medical care and
answer any questions that you may have.

Maryland

Cat AC Leader: Barb Kertess, ​bkertess@petconnectrescue.org​, 240-731-1325

Kate Luse, ​kluse@petconnectrescue.org​, 240-310-6976

Melissa West, ​Mwest@petconnectrescue.org​, 951-795-1348

Katie Buckner, ​kbuckner@petconnectrescue.org​, 301-257-6441

Virginia

Karen Helm, ​khelm@petconnectrescue.org​, 703-501-8791

Hillary Haag, ​hhaag@petconnectrescue.org​, 703-609-9380

Initial Supplies:

You will need the following supplies to get started:

● Food (check with your AC before purchasing food)

● Litter box, litter scoop & litter (unscented, clumping)
● Bedding

Upon request, ​PetConnect Rescue will ​help provide ​you with the initial supplies you will need
to care for your foster​. Ongoing supplies (food & litter) are the foster’s responsibility.
(Purchases made for foster animals are considered donations to PetConnect and are
tax-deductible. Keep your receipts.) Donated items such as food & litter will be made
available if/when received.

When Your Foster Arrives:

Your foster will arrive in a carrier, which you can use to transport to vet appointments
and adoption events. At first, isolate the foster kitty in its own room or a provided soft
sided / metal crate. This helps the kitten/cat acclimate to the sounds and smells of its
new environment and to feel safe more quickly. Isolating your foster also protects your
resident animals from contagious illness such as Upper Respiratory Infections (URI)—a
common illness in shelter cats.

Additional Supplies to Have On-Hand:

Cotton balls, hypoallergenic baby wipes (for young kittens)

Scale for weighing (for young kittens)
Humidifier/vaporizer (for treating URIs)
Heating pad or microwaveable heated discs (if newborn >3 weeks old)
Soft, non-ravel blankets/towels or cat bed
Weighted bowls (not plastic)
Pet Stain/odor remover (such as Nature’s Miracle)
Safe Toys (rolling balls, plastic shower rings, wand toys, etc.)
Brush or comb, nail clippers
Kitten or cat food—we recommend high-quality food, dry and wet/canned (Science Diet
kitten, Performatrin Indoor Adult are predominantly used for cats/kittens in Loudoun
Co, VA. Royal Canin, Purina ProPlan are also excellent choices. Please check with
your AC before purchasing food)
Scratching post/pad (the cardboard types work well and are inexpensive)

Potential Dangers For Your Foster:

 ● Foster kittens/cat must be kept indoors, so be careful with open windows (even
w/ a screen), storm doors that don’t shut completely
● Closet and bedroom doors
● Open dryer doors
● Open toilet lids
● Computer/Electronic wires (electric shock or strangulation)
● Potted Plants (many are poisonous)
● Window blind cords
● Curtains
● Dental floss in trash can
● Cleaning Supplies
● Onions, Garlic, Cow’s Milk, Goat’s Milk (do not feed your foster human food or
table scraps)
● Plastic or paper bags with handles

Veterinary appointments​:

You are responsible for taking your foster to veterinary exams, vaccinations, etc., at one
of our participating vets. Most of our animals will have received at least initial vetting
when they arrive at their foster homes; however, some may need a continuation of a
series of shots, deworming or other medical care. Your Adoption Coordinator will
provide you with a medical history of the care your foster received at the shelter, a list of
what additional vet visits are needed, and determine the Participating Vet where you
should bring your foster for any future vetting.

List of Participating Vets:

A current list of participating PetConnect Rescue Veterinarians can be found on our

website: ​www.petconnectrescue.org​ under “Resources.”

The veterinarians on this list have agreed to provide services to PetConnect Rescue
and to bill us at a reduced rate. You must use one of these approved veterinarians
when your foster needs to go to the vet.

When your foster needs a vet visit, contact your adoption coordinator for approval.
When you schedule the appointment at the vet’s office, be sure to let them know that
you are fostering for PetConnect Rescue, and give them the assigned PetConnect
name. It’s also good to remind them again at the vet office, along with the name of your
AC.

Medical Records:
It is your responsibility, in coordination with your AC, to maintain accurate medical
records for each of your foster animals. When you visit the vet, you should receive a
copy of what services were provided and retain those records. Note: Some vet offices
will not release this information to you, and you’ll need to work with your AC to obtain
these records. You should notify your adoption coordinator of all medical services your
foster kitten/cat receives. When your foster is adopted, you will need to provide all
medical records to the adopter.

Adoption Events:

Adoption Events are held every month at VA and MD locations for healthy, social cats
and kittens. (If your foster is sick, please do not bring to events where he/she will
expose many others to the same illness.)

Watch for invitations to participate in upcoming events, and these are posted on the
Calendar of Events on the PCR website, too. The events are a great way to provide
more visibility to your foster. . Usually, you are not required to stay with your foster cat;
however, some people choose to do so, and it’s a good way to meet other PetConnect
volunteers.

PCR Adoption Policies:

● Adopters must be at least 21 years old.

● We do adopt to out-of-state adopters, but they must meet the pets in
person first.
● Cats/kittens must be indoor only.
● Cats/kittens may NOT be declawed.
● Unaltered cats / kittens must be spayed at 5 months of age, if not already
completed prior to adoption.
● If the adopter is unable to keep their cat/kitten, for any reason, they must
first contact a PCR representative

The Adoption Process:

Potential adopters complete an online application located on our website. Your Adoption
Coordinator will receive notice of the application, review it and conduct a telephone
interview with the adopter. In some cases a home visit will be scheduled. Additional
processing includes a veterinarian reference check for existing animals and validation
with the property management, if the adopter is renting their home. Once your AC
approves an application, they will forward the adopter’s information to you to arrange a
visit with your foster either at your home,an adoption event or other agreed upon
location. It is important to respond in a timely manner and contact the adopter within 24
hours to arrange for a visit.

When the adopter comes to visit your foster in your home, it is a good idea to have the
kitten/cat in a single room before the adopter arrives, and have interactive toys (ie.
feather wands or foster favs) available for the Adopter to initiate play with your fosterIf
the meeting goes well, and the adopter wishes to adopt your foster, here are the steps:

1. Have the adopter complete the Adoption Agreement and Animal Cruelty Affidavit.
2. Collect the adoption fee for the kitten/cat (we accept cash or a check made payable
to PetConnect Rescue).
● The Adoption Fee for cats is $150.
● PetConnect also collects a $100 spay/neuter deposit for unaltered kittens
which will be refunded after the procedure is performed.
3. Provide the adopter with the kitten/cat’s adoption folder, which includes all of
the veterinary records to date, ,as well as a copy of the Adoption Agreement.
We retain the original Adoption Agreement copy.
4. Let the adopter know what food and litter the kitten/cat has been using (if
possible provide a small supply of the food for the adopter to take with them).
6. Ensure the adopter has a cat carrier, as this is required to transport their new feline
friend home.
7. Make arrangements to give the completed adoption agreement and adoption fee to
your Adoption Coordinator within 48 hours, or follow AC instructions if other
arrangements are in place.

We work diligently to place all adoptable animals into loving homes. Your input is
valuable, and if you are concerned about how an adoption visit goes and you do not
think that the adopter will provide a suitable home for your foster, please contact your
Adoption Coordinator immediately. Your AC will act as intermediary in these sometimes
difficult situations. Do not send the kitten/cat home with the adopter.

Cleaning Procedures:

The most common illnesses seen at shelters are caused by viruses, bacteria, parasites
and fungi. To prevent spreading illnesses from current to future fosters, objects with
which a foster animal comes into contact should be disinfected or disposed of
accordingly. This includes toys, bedding, scratching posts, litterboxes, scoops, crates
and carriers. Applying basic cleaning techniques will also help protect your companion
animals, too.
 ● Using bleach as a disinfectant: The recommended dilution is 1 part bleach to 30
parts water (1/4 cup bleach to 1 gallon water). The recommended contact time is
10 minutes. Color safe bleach does not disinfect like regular bleach.
● Consider washing animal bedding / laundry in a separate load from family
laundry. Do not use fabric softeners. Use unscented detergent and dryer sheets.
White vinegar can also be added to the load.
● Reading labels: It is important to read the labels on non-toxic, environmentally
friendly products like Simple Green​®​. It is not a disinfectant. The company does
make a Simple Green D​®​, which is a disinfectant.
● This also applies to newer products, including Clorox wipes​®​. Bleach is not an
ingredient in this product!
● Products like Fabreeze​® ​are generally safe to use in a home with animals,
although some animals can have allergic reactions. Use these products with
discretion.
● CAUTION: DO NOT USE TILEX®! IT CONTAINS ANTIFREEZE AND IS
DEADLY IF INGESTED.

Your Safety:

Don’t put yourself in a compromising situation with any animal. Always practice safe
animal handling and disease control. Report aggressive behavior or a bite that breaks
the skin immediately to a PetConnect Rescue representative.

Thank You for Saving Lives. We Are Making A Difference!

If you have any questions, concerns, suggestions, or comments please pass them
along to your Adoption Coordinator. Once again thank you so much for fostering for
PetConnect Rescue!