For Michelle Evans's family, bunnies were a match made in heaven. "They make awesome pets," she enthuses. "They entertain you with big bunny hops, and they're affectionate and love to be petted." She and her husband, Jim, and their six-year-old son, Shawn, fostered their first rabbit in 2005 through Rabbit Rescue Inc. in Milton, Ont., and have had a house full of them ever since. Michelle says fostering can be a great way to see how your family copes with the responsibility of caring for a pet and can help you decide if you're ready for a long-term commitment. "As cute and comical as bunnies are, a lot of people don't realize what's involved with caring for them," she says. "They can have chewing issues and you have to bunny-proof your house. And you may discover you have allergies."
Fostering a pet can be a real eye-opener, agrees Jackson. "People think, oh, a little kitten in the house, won't that be great? Then, when they get that cute kitten home, it's climbing up the curtains and pulling the stuffing out of the sofa, and it's more than they bargained for."
After five years of pet fostering, Erin Richards has found that adult cats are the perfect fit for her busy lifestyle. "That's where my comfort level is," says the 27-year-old university student from Ottawa, who is currently nursing one-year-old Minnie through an upper respiratory tract illness. "They're a little more settled and manageable than kittens." Erin has a separate room set aside for her foster cats and she often heads in with her laptop or work to spend time with them. Her husband is a big fan of pet fostering, too. "I'll come home and he'll be in the room reading his book with Minnie," says Erin, laughing.
The challenges of fostering
While fostering has many warm and cuddly moments, it also has its challenges. "The first few days can be a bit crazy," admits Mary Anne. The animals have to adjust to their new surroundings and other pets in the household and they're nervous, skittish and a little afraid. "If you're not keen on a bit of pee or poop in your house, you probably don't want to foster," she warns. You also have to be realistic about the time commitment involved. If you foster a dog, for example, they'll need at least two good walks a day. And not everyone is equipped emotionally to house, heal and cuddle a pet, then say goodbye.
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