Foster an Animal

Do you wish you could help give some of Shanghai’s needy companion animals a chance at a better life?  Do you miss having a companion animal around to care for?  Are quarantine laws in your home country so strict that adopting and repatriating a pet is nearly impossible?

If so, then becoming an SCAA foster parent offers a rewarding opportunity to help those who can’t help themselves. 

Foster Parent Program Frequently Asked Questions

Can I choose which animal I foster?
SCAA doesn’t select which stray and abandoned companion animals to help based on their color, size, age, breed or gender.   The animals need similarly-minded foster parents.  As SCAA’s main criteria for foster animal intake are an animal’s overall health and good social temperament, personal animal preferences will not be noted. 

Legitimate fostering limitations due to your work schedule (e.g. inability to bottle-feed abandoned newborns) and current pet ownership (e.g. dealing with territorial pets or contagious diseases) and family situation (e.g. monitoring young children around certain animals) will certainly be respected.

SCAA does not re-home feral or semi-feral cats.  However, some stray and abandoned cats and kittens require a little time and patience to settle in to a new environment.  For more information on fostering cats and kittens, please read the fostering FAQ and email Lee-Anne Armstrong at

Most of the fostering information relates to cats and kittens because SCAA does not have an active fostering program for dogs due to strict dog licensing laws and other dog ownership restrictions in Shanghai.  There are always some exceptions as SCAA takes in licensed dogs for re-homing and your help may be needed.  For more information about being a dog foster care provider, please email Jaycee Chan at

What kind of time commitment do I need to make?
Ideally, a foster animal should remain in one foster home until he or she is adopted and this could take weeks or months.  However, you can still make a difference in an animal’s life if you are in Shanghai for a limited time.  Providing temporary cover while foster parents travel is a great way to contribute.

Will my foster animal be healthy?
All SCAA foster animals receive an initial, Western-standard veterinary assessment prior to being placed in a foster home.  SCAA and our vet partner, PAW, do our best to provide an accurate picture of an animal’s health and temperament.   As we are helping abandoned animals with an unknown medical history, we cannot offer any guarantees.   

Although many SCAA foster cats and kittens require only minor treatment for fleas, mites and worms, some animals require short-term treatment, ranging from antibiotics for minor colds to applying cream for a common skin fungus.   SCAA and PAW rely on foster parents to be alert to changes in their foster animal’s health and behavior and to keep us informed.

What do I need to prepare?
Cat and kitten foster parents will need to purchase:

1. age appropriate pet food (wet and/or dry)
2. a litter box, scoop and litter
3. a scratching post (training appropriate scratching behavior at an early age has its obvious advantages)

Supplies are available online through SCAA sponsor, www.vip-Pet.com (please ask SCAA for a discount voucher), or at recommended veterinary clinics (see veterinarian services page) and most large supermarkets.

What are my foster parent responsibilities?
Aside from giving your foster animal as much care and attention as possible, foster parents:

1. bring foster cats to SCAA’s vet partner, PAW for routine vaccinations (first cat vaccination at 8 weeks of age and then second shot 2 to 4 weeks after) and any other medical care as needed.  SCAA pays all SCAA foster cat medical care costs.
2. bring vaccinated and healthy foster animals to regular SCAA Adoption Days to give foster animals the opportunity to meet potential adopters (Adoption Day is every other Sunday afternoon – see website Event Calendar)

What happens if I travel?
Usually, SCAA can call on spare or emergency foster parents to temporarily provide cover while you are away. However, since there are anywhere from 30 to 50 foster cats and kittens at any one time, asking your ayi (properly instructed) or a friend to care for your foster cat when you travel for 2 or 3 days would relieve SCAA from re-homing more animals than absolutely necessary. Just remember to please provide everyone's contact details beforehand.

Not surprisingly, the most difficult times of the year to accommodate re-homing requests are during the three "Golden Week" holidays (Chinese New Year, May Labor Day, and October National Day) as well as summer and Christmas holidays.

Please be mindful of your travel schedule before offering to foster an animal and give as much notice as possible of your travel plans if you're already fostering. Since we don't have a shelter, a handful of SCAA directors and foster parents could end up caring for multiple cats at the last minute.