How to Foster Contagious Cats

Cats and kittens in shelters and rescue groups who aren’t 100% healthy have a tough time finding foster homes. Samantha Bell, Best Friends' cat expert, didn’t think she could foster cats with scabies or ringworm because she lives in a one-bedroom apartment with three friendly and nosy cats. But due to a huge need for medical foster homes, she brought home two kittens with scabies (mange) and realized how doable it is.

The foster kittens did great, the scabies did not transfer to anyone else, and the kittens were quickly adopted once they were healthy. She wants to share her experience to ease any doubts about fostering sick cats.

Logo Icon

About Best Friends Animal Society

Best Friends is working to end the killing of dogs and cats in U.S. shelters in part by getting more pets out of shelters and into loving homes.

We’ve come a long way since the first known city reached no-kill in 1994, and now we’re closer than ever to making the entire country no-kill. Today, roughly 2,500 shelters are no-kill throughout the U.S. — and 700 more are just 100 pets or fewer away from reaching that milestone.

Best Friends is committed to working with passionate people like you to save homeless pets through adoption, volunteering, fostering, and advocacy. In addition to our lifesaving centers around the U.S, we also founded and run the nation's largest no-kill sanctuary for companion animals.

Working together, we can save homeless pets in our communities and secure a better future for our best friends. Together, we will bring the whole country to no-kill.