How do I get started if I want to foster a cat? – Nashoba Valley Voice

DEAR PET TALK: I have the time and space to foster a cat. Can you help me do that? -Hopeful

DEAR HOPEFUL: God bless you! Foster families are definitely needed for cats — also dogs. Fortunately, there are a variety of rescue organizations in North and Central Massachusetts who help get cats off the streets, or who take cats that need to be rehomed. It’s hard for a cat who has had a home to adjust to a shelter.

It is also difficult for a cat who was homeless, and then needed medical care, to recuperate in a shelter. Senior animals, or animals who are at the end of their life also need — and frankly — deserve a loving home.

Fostering generally means that you can provide a safe, warm environment. Since you don’t have a cat, a foster cat could have the run of your house, but people who have cats, and a spare room, can also foster a cat or cats. Fostering also usually entails having food, supplies and medical resources provided by the host Shelter.

If you don’t own your own home, some shelters request your landlord’s contact information. It’s not enough to say it’s “okay” for you, as a renter, to foster. Also, if you have resident cats, the shelter needs to know that your cats get along with the resident fosters, or that you have a space for the fosters to be separate from the resident pets, who must be up to date on rabies and other vaccinations.

I work with many shelters for “Pet of the Week” (also on this page), and every one of them has an application to foster. These rescues work exclusively with cats:

• Ahimsa Haven, visit ahimsahaven.org

• Pat Brody Shelter for Cats, visit catsontheweb.org

These shelters work with cats and dogs, and some also have fostering opportunities for smaller animals:

• Broken Tail Rescue, visit brokentailrescue.org

• Manchester (NH) Animal Shelter, visit manchesteranimalshelter.org

• Second Chance Animal Services, E. Brookfield, secondchanceanimals.org

Sally Cragin is the director of Be PAWSitive: Therapy Pets and Community Education. Send questions sallycragin@gmail.com.