Join HART’s Foster Club
Apply now to become a member of the lifesaving squad!
WE URGENTLY NEED FOSTERS FOR CATS AND KITTENS OF THE CENTRAL COAST
Kitten season is rampant from Spring to Fall and HART needs fosters who can help us save these vulnerable lives. Kitten fosters provide care and support to kittens until they are old enough to thrive on their own and be adopted.
Unfortunately, there are always more kittens and cats in need than fosters available to help them. You can make a huge impact by fostering these vulnerable animals, for a couple of weeks or more, and helping to spread the word about your experience to other potential foster parents.
HART provides all the food, supplies, veterinary care and support. All you need to provide is a warm home and plenty of TLC!
How to become a foster
To get started, complete the online application. Attend a mandatory online Foster Club orientation where you will learn everything you need to know about our program and ask any questions you may have.
Foster requirements
Kitten season is rampant from Spring to Fall and HART needs fosters who can help us save these vulnerable lives. Kitten fosters provide care and support to kittens until they are old enough to thrive on their own and be adopted.
Unfortunately, there are always more kittens and cats in need than fosters available to help them. You can make a huge impact by fostering these vulnerable animals, for a couple of weeks or more, and helping to spread the word about your experience to other potential foster parents.
HART provides all the food, supplies, veterinary care and support. All you need to provide is a warm home and plenty of TLC!
How to become a foster
To get started, complete the online application. Attend a mandatory online Foster Club orientation where you will learn everything you need to know about our program and ask any questions you may have.
Foster requirements
All fosters must:
- Be 18 years or older or have a parent or guardian who is willing to oversee the care of a foster animal.
- Be willing and able to bring your fosters into HART for follow-up veterinary appointments.
- Feed, replace litter and keep your foster’s area clean.
- Monitor your foster’s daily health.
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Provide TLC and socialization to your foster.
You can still fill out our online application and attend our online Foster Club orientation for more information, then foster when the time is right for you.
Most Urgent Cats in Need
Below are our most urgent cats in need of a foster home. Whether due to stress, declining health, or a need for more socialization, these cats are not thriving in a shelter environment. We're hopeful finding them an attentive and caring foster will brighten their spirits, improve their health, and make them more adoptable.
HART is a no-refuse shelter and will never discriminate an intake based on age or health. Because of this, we occasionally house senior cats with extensive medical issues who require attentive and compassionate care. Adopting out these cats is especially challenging due to their declining health (often leading to hospice care) and costly medical expenses. Placing these cats in foster homes is a win-win situation - HART covers the cost of all expenses while the cats receive comprehensive care and the love of a family, which they desperately crave. Please consider fostering a special needs cat (medical training provided) or share their stories.
HART is a no-refuse shelter and will never discriminate an intake based on age or health. Because of this, we occasionally house senior cats with extensive medical issues who require attentive and compassionate care. Adopting out these cats is especially challenging due to their declining health (often leading to hospice care) and costly medical expenses. Placing these cats in foster homes is a win-win situation - HART covers the cost of all expenses while the cats receive comprehensive care and the love of a family, which they desperately crave. Please consider fostering a special needs cat (medical training provided) or share their stories.
Murphy
- Age & sex: 13 years-old, male
- Health Conditions: Obese
- Temperament: Gentle, sweet, timid.
- Why foster care? Murphy has been at HART for 1 year & 7 months. He is shy with strangers and uncomfortable around dominant or aggressive cats. Needs a calm and quiet environment.
- Additional Notes: Easily intimidated by aggressive cats. May do best in a single-pet household or with very friendly or passive pets.
Chai
- Age & sex: 14 years-old, male
- Health Conditions: Upper Respiratory Infection (on medication)
- Temperament: Affectionate, mild-mannered, and friendly. Total lap-cat.
- Why foster care? Chai is struggling to find his place at the shelter, his health is deteriorating. He needs a quiet home where he can receive attentive care, love, and affection.
- Additional Notes: May act dominant towards other cats. Will do best in a single-pet household or with friendly or passive pet.
PJ
- Age & sex: 17 years-old, male
- Health Conditions: Urinary incontinence due to "Manx Syndrome", which can cause spinal cord problems resulting in an inability to control their bladder. Requires bladder expression 3 times per day. On medication.
- Temperament: Gentle, loving, and very friendly.
- Why foster care? Due to PJ's health condition, he requires attentive care from a loving and compassionate person.
- Additional Notes: Does well with other cats. He is very easy-going and gentle.
Cosmo
- Age & sex: 9 years-old, male
- Health Conditions: Obesity. Heart condition called Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy. On medication.
- Temperament: Shy, gentle, affectionate.
- Why foster care? Has been at HART for 1 year and 7 months. Needs one-on-one attention. Shy around strangers.
Cosmo's story...
Cosmo was left behind when his owners moved out of Cambria. He enjoys spending time with people, being brushed, petted, or just having someone nearby for company. Cosmo enjoys eating to lift his mood, and has gained weight while in the shelter. Being in a home can help him feel happier so that he can manage his weight.
Cosmo was left behind when his owners moved out of Cambria. He enjoys spending time with people, being brushed, petted, or just having someone nearby for company. Cosmo enjoys eating to lift his mood, and has gained weight while in the shelter. Being in a home can help him feel happier so that he can manage his weight.
Suki
- Age & sex: 15 years-old, female
- Health Conditions: None
- Temperament: Shy, easy-going, friendly.
- Why foster care? Suki is shy and timid around strangers and loud noises. She spends most of her time hiding in a cubby. She urgently needs a home where she feels comfortable to be herself.
- Additional Notes: Does well around other cats. Suki is very easy-going and keeps to herself.
Suki's story...
Suki is a gorgeous senior lynx-point mix who came to HART with her adopted brother, Chai, when their purr-son passed away. It took Suki a bit of time to adjust to the abrupt change in her life, but she is now showing us what a sweet, loving girl she can be. Suki is a shy senior kitty in need of a safe, quiet harbor in her golden years.
Solo
- Age & sex: 9 years-old, female
- Health Conditions: Diabetes
- Temperament: Sweet, dignified, confident
- Why foster care? She is not fond of other cats and needs an insulin shot 2x/day (may go back into remission).
- Additional Notes: Does best as the only pet or with submissive / gentle pets.
Solo's story...
This sweet fluffy beauty is ready for her forever home! She is just 9 years old and has a lot of life to live with her special someone. She is diabetic and currently on a special diet, so she would be a great candidate for a foster home or foster-to-adopt situation if you're not experienced with a diabetic cat. She takes her insulin like a pro! She is currently in foster care, but is looking for her fur-ever family. She prefers to be the only cat in the household, but does do well with small, cat-friendly dogs. Please call and ask to meet Miss Solo today!
Gigi
- Age & sex: 11 years-old, female
- Health Conditions: Hyperthyroid, on medication.
- Temperament: Relaxed, sweet but apprehensive.
- Why foster care? Gigi is anxious around the other cats, she craves more human interaction but is apprehensive in a shelter environment.
Gigi's story...
Gigi is not thriving in the shelter. She is making progress with people, she just doesn’t like other cats, and so she is growling/ grumbling and being aggressive with other cats in the room, causing a lot of stress. She is constantly on the defensive with other cats. With people, she has started initiating contact more. She comes and asks for affection, but she will only sit for a short time before she hits her limit. She could thrive in a home of her own. Being in the shelter where she is constantly aggravated by other cats is holding her back.
Morro *URGENT*
- Age & sex: 12 years-old, male
- Health Conditions: Very underweight, has tongue ulcers, Anemia, Pancreatitis, and Kidney Disease. He is currently on medication for mouth pain, an iron supplement, and a special diet for his kidneys.
- Temperament: Social, loving, outgoing
- Why foster care? Needs attentive medical care. Will greatly benefit from a loving home. Morro is very social and affectionate.
Morro's story...
Morro was found as a stray at Morro Rock. He was brought to DAS, but needed additional medical support, so HART rescued him and took on his care. He is making progress, but it has been a slow process. A loving home and lots of TLC could help Morro heal faster. He is friendly and active, despite the multiple health problems he is trying to overcome. We are looking for a foster who will give Morro the attention, care, and stress-free environment he needs and deserves.
Rocky
- Age & sex: 15 years-old, male
- Health Conditions: Suspected IBD/Lymphoma, currently on medication.
- Temperament: Loving, relaxed, affectionate.
- Why foster care? Due to Rocky's age and current health, he is not thriving at the shelter. A foster home will provide much needed one-on-one love and attention.
- Additional Notes: Was the only pet in his previous household, should continue that or place with easy-going / gentle pets.
Rocky's story...
Rocky was adopted as a kitten from HART almost 16 years ago by a loving couple. Sadly, both passed away, leaving Rocky isolated and alone for three months while a kindly neighbor looked in on him before HART was alerted to help. Rocky is an incredibly gentle soul who is grateful for any small amount of attention and affection. He doesn't ask for much but becomes anxious if his litterbox is not raked first thing in the morning. (Problem is solid waste, not urine.) Currently a volunteer is fostering Rocky so he can sort everything out, but he's confined to a bathroom because other resident cats are intolerant. Can you find room in your heart to help our friend Rocky in his golden years? He is a fine cat -- very sweet, responsive, friendly, and 100% good-natured.
Sassy
- Age & sex: 13 years-old, female
- Health Conditions: None
- Temperament: Independent, confident, affectionate.
- Why foster care? Sassy is not fond of living in a multi-cat household. Needs one-on-one care and love from a special person.
- Additional Notes: Does not like dogs and tolerates other cats, she prefers to be the only pet.
Sassy's story...
Sassy came to HART over a year ago. Her previous people got a new puppy, and that didn’t go over well with poor Sassy. She was terrified of the new puppy. Unfortunately, her former people decided Sassy should be euthanized because she wasn't adjusting to the puppy. Luckily, a brave volunteer stepped in and convinced them to relinquish Sassy to HART instead.
Sassy has been very vocal about her displeasure in being replaced, uprooted, and living in an unfamiliar environment with strangers. Until recently, Sassy has been mistrustful of most people. However; she has begun to bond with a few people at HART. She will seek out attention from those people, and will even sit on their laps and purr.
Sassy really needs someone who she can trust and bond with. She should go to a home where she is kept indoors as an only-cat, and definitely no dogs. She loves having a window to look out of and a space to call her own. We believe Sassy truly wants to be a sweet lap cat, she just needs the right person to find her.
Cats in Need of a Foster Home
Many of our long-term HART residents grow tired of being in a shelter environment, where they can't receive consistent one-on-one love and affection. They rely on attention from our staff, volunteers, and visitors, which they must share with the multiple other cats in our shelter. The more shy or physically fragile cats may start to decline from being in a shelter for too long. Going to a loving and attentive foster home is a wonderful resource to help revive these cats in need.
Sending our cats to foster homes also allows us the ability to take in even more homeless cats and kittens in need of shelter, food, and medical care. We currently have a wait-list of cats in urgent need of rehoming. We are so grateful to all of our foster families for temporarily housing HART kitties and giving them love and care through their journey to finding forever families.
HART provides support to all our foster families to ensure they have all of the tools they need to help them succeed. This includes the cost of medical care and any supplies the foster needs. A good foster is someone willing to open their heart and home to a cat in need. Most cats don't require much space, but they need plenty of love and care in order to ensure they maintain good health and are well socialized to prepare them for adoption.
Sending our cats to foster homes also allows us the ability to take in even more homeless cats and kittens in need of shelter, food, and medical care. We currently have a wait-list of cats in urgent need of rehoming. We are so grateful to all of our foster families for temporarily housing HART kitties and giving them love and care through their journey to finding forever families.
HART provides support to all our foster families to ensure they have all of the tools they need to help them succeed. This includes the cost of medical care and any supplies the foster needs. A good foster is someone willing to open their heart and home to a cat in need. Most cats don't require much space, but they need plenty of love and care in order to ensure they maintain good health and are well socialized to prepare them for adoption.
Orphan Kitten Amazon Wish List
Kitten season is rampant early spring throughout the fall seasons. Taking in hundreds of kittens means running through supplies pretty quickly. Please consider donating an item from our Orphan Kitten Kit Wishlist on Amazon. You can choose from a selection of Orphan Kitten Kit supplies that will be delivered to H.A.R.T. Thank you for any contribution - no matter how big or small - our cats LOVE deliveries (mostly for the box the presents arrive in)!
HART's Foster Coordinator
Brittany Donecho
Brittany graduated from Foothill College's Veterinary Technology program in 2012. Since obtaining her CA state and National licenses, she has worked in many areas of veterinary medicine including, general practice, emergency, shelter, physical rehabilitation and dentistry. Brittany began working at HART in December 2018 and quickly got started on creating a Fear Free Initiative in order to reduce the fear, anxiety and stress of HART's shelter residents. Shortly after she took on the role of Foster Coordinator and created HART's highly successful Foster Club.
HART Foster Club Official Merchandise
Gloria - Our Foster Club Mascot
Gloria first came to HART as a feral kitten in May of 2015. She was adopted in August of that year and lived with her new family for a short number of years before developing MAJOR signs of fear, anxiety and stress causing her to be relinquished back to HART.
Once back at the shelter, she had proved to be a challenging case and we knew she would require a dedicated foster and a comprehensive plan to increase her confidence, modify her behaviors and land her in a new home, this time forever.
We incorporated a consistent schedule of behavior modification using Jackson Galaxy's Cat Pawsitive Program, sent her to our partner vets for a thorough workup and modified her living space to include Fear Free additions. Shortly after, we matched Gloria with a wonderful foster mom, Christina, who was committed to continuing her shelter routine in her home to ensure she would make the progress she desperately needed to get adopted.
After months of dedicated Cat Pawsitive training with her foster mom, as well as behavioral and medical consults, Gloria had made immense progress and was ready to find her forever family. The HART crew was overjoyed when we learned her forever home would be with her foster mom. The two had developed a strong bond and cosmic love for each other and we knew Gloria would continue to make strides.
Once back at the shelter, she had proved to be a challenging case and we knew she would require a dedicated foster and a comprehensive plan to increase her confidence, modify her behaviors and land her in a new home, this time forever.
We incorporated a consistent schedule of behavior modification using Jackson Galaxy's Cat Pawsitive Program, sent her to our partner vets for a thorough workup and modified her living space to include Fear Free additions. Shortly after, we matched Gloria with a wonderful foster mom, Christina, who was committed to continuing her shelter routine in her home to ensure she would make the progress she desperately needed to get adopted.
After months of dedicated Cat Pawsitive training with her foster mom, as well as behavioral and medical consults, Gloria had made immense progress and was ready to find her forever family. The HART crew was overjoyed when we learned her forever home would be with her foster mom. The two had developed a strong bond and cosmic love for each other and we knew Gloria would continue to make strides.
Christina is rocking her 'Gloria' crewneck sweater while snuggling with the official HART Foster Club mascot herself!
Your purchase will support the life-saving efforts of the HART Foster Club
Your purchase will support the life-saving efforts of the HART Foster Club
FOSTER CLUB MERCHANDISE
The Homeless Animal Rescue Team's Foster Club was established in 2019 and has since saved hundreds of vulnerable lives, recruited dozens of foster families and raised a large number of funds that have been used for necessary supplies and medical care of fostered animals.
Your purchase will support the life-saving efforts of the HART Foster Club. Love the Foster Club 'Gloria' design? We now have her adorable face on apparel and all purchases will support HART's Foster Club! Learn more about our exclusive 'Gloria' apparel HERE.
Your purchase will support the life-saving efforts of the HART Foster Club. Love the Foster Club 'Gloria' design? We now have her adorable face on apparel and all purchases will support HART's Foster Club! Learn more about our exclusive 'Gloria' apparel HERE.
Foster Club Magnet - Kittens
HART kittens magnet. These adorable babies were nicknamed the "Harmony kittens", rescued with their mama in Harmony, Ca just south of Cambria. They received amazing love and care with an incredible foster club family! They are now all happily in their forever homes.
Size 3" x 3"
$3.00
2 for $5.00
Mix & Match 2 for $5 (1 kitten & 1 cat )
Size 3" x 3"
$3.00
2 for $5.00
Mix & Match 2 for $5 (1 kitten & 1 cat )
Foster Club Magnet - Adult
HART adult magnet. This sweet girl is named "Smokey", a senior cat rescued as a homeless stray right here in Cambria, Ca. She was injured and in urgent need of medical care when HART took her in. After lots of love and healing received in a caring foster home, Smokey has since been adopted. She has become one of the many Foster Club success stories. Cats given a second chance at life and love thanks to the incredible members of our Foster Club who open up their hearts and homes to the most vulnerable in need.
Size 2.56" x 3"
$3.00
2 for $5.00
Mix & Match 2 for $5 (1 kitten & 1 cat )
Size 2.56" x 3"
$3.00
2 for $5.00
Mix & Match 2 for $5 (1 kitten & 1 cat )
Foster Club Sticker
The HART Foster Club Sticker features Cat Pawsitive success story, Gloria. She was matched with a wonderful foster mom who was committed to continuing her Cat Pawsitive training that was established here at the shelter. After months of dedicated training and immense progress was made ... the HART crew was overjoyed to learn the two had developed such a strong bond and cosmic love for each other that Gloria's foster mom had decided to adopt her! We knew Gloria would continue to make tremendous strides.
Love the Foster Club 'Gloria' design? We now have her adorable face on apparel and all purchases will support the life-saving efforts of the HART Foster Club! Learn more about Gloria's story and our exclusive 'Gloria' apparel HERE. Artwork by Scott Donecho.
Foster Club Sticker
3" x 3"
$2.00
Love the Foster Club 'Gloria' design? We now have her adorable face on apparel and all purchases will support the life-saving efforts of the HART Foster Club! Learn more about Gloria's story and our exclusive 'Gloria' apparel HERE. Artwork by Scott Donecho.
Foster Club Sticker
3" x 3"
$2.00