Fostering cats: foster room and litter setup

Written from the sources below on 4 October 2026.

Fostering cats means you look after a shelter cat or kitten in your own home for a while. The ASPCA says foster animals may be waiting for an adoptive home, need time to unwind away from the shelter, be recovering from illness or surgery, or simply need time to grow.

You get a cat in the house without promising it the rest of its life. The cat waits for adoption in a home. The ASPCA says fostering frees up space at the shelter for the next animal.

Below is how fostering usually works, then how to set up the room and the litter box. Each shelter or rescue runs its own program, so its rules come first.

What it costs, and who pays

• The ASPCA says fostering for it is free and needs little training. It gives its foster caregivers food, supplies such as bowls, collars and medicine, and support. Vet care is covered.
• Humane World for Animals says many shelters and rescues provide food, crates, litter and vet care, plus training on basic care, feeding, giving medicine and behavior.
• Each organization sets its own rules. The ASPCA, for example, asks its fosters to be at least 18 and to live near one of its shelters.

How to start

Humane World for Animals says most shelters and rescues list fostering on their websites under "Foster" or "Volunteer". If you can't find it, call or email and say you want to foster. Expect an application or questionnaire about your home and your time.

To find a shelter or rescue near you, use Find local help and look for Fostering on each card. Then apply on that organization's own website.

Questions to ask before you say yes

• How long will the cat stay with me?
• What do you provide: food, litter, a carrier, vet care?
• Who do I call if the cat gets sick, and what is the emergency number?
• Can I adopt my foster cat? Humane World for Animals suggests asking whether there is a foster-to-adopt program.

Set up a foster room

Best Friends Animal Society says it is often better to keep a new foster cat in a small room, such as a bathroom, at first. Let the cat settle before it gets the run of the house. A spare bedroom works too. Put these in the room:

• food and water bowls (Best Friends suggests stainless steel or ceramic)
• a litter box
• a scratching post
• a soft, comfortable place to sleep
• a few durable toys

Make the room safe before the cat arrives. Humane World for Animals says to move people food, medicine, cleaning products, house plants and electrical wires out of reach.

Don't worry if your foster cat disappears for a while. Best Friends says it is common for a foster cat to hide under a bed or in a dark, quiet spot for the first couple of days.

Foster kittens need a warmer, safer space

• Best Friends says to keep foster kittens apart from all other animals in your home, in a small area such as a spare room or bathroom.
• The space should be warm and draft-free, because kittens cannot regulate their body temperature.
• Never use a garage or anywhere with outdoor access. Best Friends says those places are not safe.
• Pick a room that is easy to clean. Kittens are still learning, and accidents will happen.

Litter box setup for foster cats and kittens

Best Friends gives different litter advice for adult cats and for kittens. If your shelter gives you its own instructions, follow those.

• Adult cats: use an uncovered box. Best Friends advises against covered boxes, because some cats dislike them and that can start litter box problems.
• Adult cats: use clumping litter, unless you are told otherwise.
• Adult cats: scoop at least once a day, and empty and clean the whole box every two weeks with mild soap.
• Kittens: use a box with low sides, and more than one for a big litter.
• Kittens: use non-clumping litter, such as pine or clay.
• Kittens: put the litter boxes as far from food and water as you can.

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If you already have pets

Best Friends says not to leave a foster cat alone with your own pets until you are sure they can be together safely. Over one to two weeks, let the cats smell each other through a closed door, with no contact. Humane World for Animals also suggests learning how to introduce animals properly before the foster arrives.

When to call the shelter

Best Friends lists signs a foster carer should report, including:

• yellow or green discharge from the eyes, or sneezing with colored discharge
• no eating for 24 hours
• low energy, dehydration, vomiting or diarrhea
• pain when peeing
• scratching at the ears, swollen ears, or patches of hair loss

Some signs are emergencies. Best Friends names trouble breathing, severe dehydration, a cat that is unconscious or cold to the touch, broken bones, trauma and heavy bleeding. Use your organization's emergency number right away.

Saying goodbye, or not

Your foster cat leaves when it is adopted. That was the plan all along. Humane World for Animals says it is normal to bond with a foster pet, and sometimes the foster family adopts. If you think you might, talk to the organization about it early.

Not ready to foster? See Adopting a pet, or other ways to help on Volunteering.