fostering

Hyde Park Cats is always in search of fosterhomes! Foster parents care for one or more cats, depending on circumstances, for anywhere from a few days to several months.

Why foster?

> you love cats but know you're only going to be here in Hyde Park for a year (two years, etc.)
> you love cats but can't support a cat financially right now
> you think you love cats, but you're never had one before
> your apartment has inadequate heating and you need a lap-warmer
> your yarn collection is too neat and you need a cat to play with it
> you live alone and need a cat to greet you when you come home
> you live with others and need a cat to complete your group
> you want to help solve the cat-overpopulation crisis in a small but concrete way

We ask you to provide food and litter, although this is negotiable if it's what is standing in your way of fostering. Veterinary care is on us. YOU provide LOVE, CARING, and SUPPORT for a homeless cat.

Email us at hydeparkcats@gmail.com to apply.

Foster cats are from the streets and pounds. We regret that we cannot foster your pet cat.

Free to good home?

We got this kitten from a well-intentioned Hyde Parker who had put an ad on markplace for a kitten "free to a good home." The owner, who genuinely cared for the kitty, got her on Saturday from a relative's girlfriend (whose cat had kittens) but thought she might be developing allergies, so kitten had been spending her nights in a carrier on the porch. We're happy we could intercede with this kitten, because "free kittens" often have a very rough ... and short ... life.

It costs more to take a "free" kitten to the vet for deworming, spaying, and vaccination than it would to pay the fee to adopt a rescue cat. So a free kitten might end up with an owner who can't afford or doesn't care to provide veterinary care. Then when the cat gets sick or pregnant -- out it goes. People who get free kittens from strangers often do so because somebody trying to get rid of kittens will not do reference checks. Some of these people then take kittens into apartments or student housing where they are not allowed pets. When they're caught and face the choice between eviction or getting rid of the cat, out the cat goes. Or free kittens end up at animal control, and the owner just doesn't bother, and instead gets a new free kitten. Sometimes free kittens and cats (and other pets) end up as dogfighting bait, reptile food, or possibly even lab animals.

Don't fool yourself into thinking these scenarios are statistically insignificant. Where do you think all the stray cats come from?

What To Do If You See A "Free To Good Home" Ad

What can you do about free kittens? If you come across people trying to give away kittens for free, refer them to your local humane society. Offer them info. If necessary, help to spay the mother cat so that this doesn't happen again! If this is somebody on the street (or a "lemonade stand"), just take all the kittens and bring them to your local humane society. You will be doing everybody a favor.

If you see an ad, contact the person. Let them know about the dangers of "Free To Good Home" ads and tell them to proceed very carefully with the adoption, to do reference and landlord checks, etc. You can come prepared with a sample application! Do not feel embarrassed to contact the person who posted the ad. Many people are grateful that you took the time to inform them of dangers they were unaware of. Urge them to consider taking the kittens to the local rescue. If nothing else, take them yourself and bring them to the local rescue or humane society.

If the ad you found was on the internet, contact the site owner to request that they forbid the posting of ads for free animals on their site. Also contact your local newspaper and ask them to run a warning about placing "Free To Good Home" ads. Here is a sample letter.