Thank you for considering becoming a foster parent for our kittens!
Before you start the application process, please review our foster caregiver requirements to make sure we’re a compatible fit.
| Minimum of 2 Kittens: Fosters are paired with a minimum of two adorable kittens to care for. |
| Dedicated Space for Weaned Kittens: If you’re fostering weaned kittens, ensure you have a separate room with a door and a window for them. This could be a spare room, a guest room, or even an office. |
| Rental Property Consideration: If you’re a renter, it’s important to inform your property manager about your intention to foster before completing the application. If your application moves forward, you may need to address any relevant fees with your rental property management before taking in kittens. |
| Daily Care: Expect to feed your kittens at least 4 times a day, maintain clean litter boxes, spend quality playtime with your foster kittens, and provide any necessary oral medications. |
| Bottle Baby Foster Care: If you’re caring for bottle-fed kittens, be prepared to feed them as often as every 2 hours, even overnight. |
| Communication: Fosters must have consistent access to a cell phone and home internet. We’ll keep in touch through text messages and emails, so you need to be comfortable with both. |
| Medical Guidelines: It’s essential to follow all medical advice, including quarantine protocols, using approved supplies, and maintaining open communication with our teams at BKB. These guidelines are in place to ensure the health and well-being of our kittens. |
| Transportation/Appointments: You’ll need to either have access to transportation or be willing to drive. Sometimes, this may require traveling during late evening/nighttime hours. You’ll be responsible for picking your kittens up from intake (locations vary across the Minneapolis/St Paul area), transporting your kittens to a minimum of 3 wellness visits (Little Canada) and their spay/neuter surgery (varies – Minneapolis, St Paul, Golden Valley). In case of emergency, you will need to transport your kittens to Southview Animal Hospital (South St Paul) or Animal Emergency Referral Center (Oakdale). |
| Location: Because of the transportation requirements, Foster applicants should ideally live within an hour’s drive of our Headquarters in Little Canada. If you’re just outside that radius, we’ll consider your application on a case-by-case basis. |
| Meet and Greet: For weaned kitten fosters, hosting potential adopters for in-person visits is required. It’s a great way for them to get to know the kittens. |
Sound okay? Great! We’re thrilled that you’re considering joining our foster program. Here’s a step-by-step guide to the onboarding and training process:
| Ready to Begin in 60 Days: Before applying, please ensure you can commit to completing the onboarding and are prepared to welcome kittens into your home within the next 60 days. |
| Application Submission: Begin by filling out an application. Before doing so, please ensure that your pets are spayed/neutered and up to date on their vaccines. It’s a good practice to confirm this with your veterinarian. |
| Complete and Thoughtful Responses: Please carefully read and respond to each question on the application form. Incomplete applications will be archived, so take your time and provide thorough answers. |
| Application Review: Once you submit your application, our team will carefully review it and aim to get back to you within 7 business days. |
| Phone Interview: If your application moves forward, we’ll request a 30-minute phone interview. This gives us a chance to discuss your application and provide insight into the fostering process. |
| Virtual Orientation: If you decide to continue, we’ll send you a link to our next virtual orientation. These orientations are scheduled once a month. Along with the orientation link, you’ll receive a 30-minute training video to watch and a short quiz to complete before the orientation. |
| Participate in Virtual Orientation: Attend the virtual orientation on Google Meet to gain a deeper understanding of our program and your role as a foster parent. |
| Resource Documents and Waivers: Following the orientation, we’ll email you fostering resource documents. You’ll also receive a digital liability waiver that you and everyone in your home must sign. |
| Waiver Submission: Please ensure that all waivers are signed within 7 days of the orientation to keep your application active and prevent it from being archived. |
| Home Visit: Once we receive your signed waiver(s), we’ll contact you to schedule a home visit. During this visit, we’ll assess your space together and identify the safest location for the kittens. |
| Onboarding Completion: If your space meets our approval, your onboarding process is complete, and you’re ready to embark on your fostering journey! |
Now that you know what fostering is all about, you can FILL OUT AN APPLICATION to get started!