East Coast Maine Coon Rescue - Foster Application

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86 Auble Road, Blairstown, NJ 07825

Foster Application

Please be sure to read ECMCR's Foster Home Guidelines below.

Note: Please print out a copy of all forms for your own records prior to submitting them to ECMCR.

Just complete this form. Click on Submit when ready to send.

If you wish foster for East Coast Maine Coon Rescue (ECMCR), you must fill out and submit a Foster Application. ECMCR will review and approve all requests for fostering. Please check with ECMCR before committing yourself and us!

Note: These applications are used for rescue purposes only. ECMCR does not, under any circumstances, sell information about our applicants. Please print out a copy of this form for a future reference.

Your submission of the Foster Application means you have read and agree to comply with the ECMCR Foster Home Guidelines. If you do not agree, do not submit this form.

Your electronic signature and submission of this form acknowledges that you have read and understand the ECMCR Foster Home Guidelines.

Please answer all the questions on the form. Failure to respond to some questions or not send in the completed form may cause unnecessary delays in the processing of your application.

Thank you all for your willingness to help with our rescue efforts. *Required Fields

Personal Contact Information:
Your First Name:	*
Your Last Name:	*
Occupation:	*
Address:	*
City:	*
State:	* Zip: *

Daytime Phone:	*
Evening Phone:	*
Best Time To Call:	*
Your E-mail Address:	*

Personal Reference:
First Name:	*
Last Name:	*
Phone Number:	*
Best Time To Call:	*
Relationship:	*

Do You Have A Regular Veterinarian?	*Yes No
Vet's Name:
Clinic Name:
Address:
City:
State:	Zip:

Current Pets
How many pets do you currently own?	*

Pet #1:
Species:
Breed:
Sex:	Male Female
Altered?	Yes No
Ever Been Around Cats?	Yes No
Behavior Towards Cats:

Pet #2:
Species:
Breed:
Sex:	Male Female
Altered?	Yes No
Ever Been Around Cats?	Yes No
Behavior Towards Cats:

Pet #3:
Species:
Breed:
Sex:	Male Female
Altered?	Yes No
Ever Been Around Cats?	Yes No
Behavior Towards Cats:

Pet #4:
Species:
Breed:
Sex:	Male Female
Altered?	Yes No
Ever Been Around Cats?	Yes No
Behavior Towards Cats:

Additional Pets - Please include: Species/Breed, Age, Sex, whether or not Altered, if they have ever Been With Cats, as well as their Behavior Toward Cats:



Household Members
How many adults and children are in this home?	*
Please list all household members including ages:
1. Name: Age:
2. Name: Age:
3. Name: Age:
4. Name: Age:
5. Name: Age:
6. Name: Age:
7. Name: Age:

Fostering Specifics
Have You Ever Owned A Maine Coon Before?	*Yes No
If Yes, Please Describe In Detail:

Have you ever worked with a cat with behavioral problems, medical needs, or special needs before? (describe)*

Are you willing to work with a cat with behavioral problems, medical needs, or special needs?	*Yes No
Problems You Are Willing To Work With:	Inappropriate Elimination Spraying Scratching Furniture Aggression Management Fearful/Overly Shy Medical Management
Please describe the space in which you would keep a foster cat, away from your other pets, until the foster cat can become integrated into the rest of the home.*

How far are you willing to drive to pick up a foster cat?	* miles
Time Limit For Fostering?*	*
* Time Limit: We request that foster homes be willing to commit to keeping a cat at least 8 weeks (2 months), because it often takes at least that long to find a suitable home for the cat. Foster cats should ideally be kept isolated from any current pets, preferably in a spare bedroom or office (a large bathroom will suffice in a pinch). Any foster space must have windows to allow in light and, season permitting, fresh air.

Do you agree to allow ECMCR to perform a Home Visit?	*Yes No
If not, please explain:


ECMCR Foster Home Guidelines
The Foster Home is invaluable in the rescue process. Cats need to be in a home atmosphere for their mental stability and for rescue to be able to evaluate the type of home and people best suited for each cat.

As I/we (Foster Home) agree to receive a cat from East Coast Maine Coon Rescue (ECMCR) for the purpose of fostering until a permanent adoptive home can be found, I/we agree willingly to all the following terms of fostering:

1. Rights: ECMCR cats are the sole property of ECMCR and decisions regarding their placement, medical care, behavioral modification and euthanasia are exclusively made by the Officers/Directors (hereafter referred to as Officers). Under no circumstances does a Foster Home have the right to place, sell, give away, abandon, donate, or euthanize the ECMCR cat(s) in their care. Furthermore, all medical treatments given or extreme behavior modification techniques practiced must be discussed with and approved by an Officer before implementation.

2. Upkeep costs: As a Foster Home, you are responsible for providing indoor-only accommodations including food, water, litterboxes, and litter costs, and providing ample amounts of attention and one-on-one care for the cat(s) placed in your custody. ECMCR will not reimburse Foster Homes for any of these items, and their debt will be the responsibility of the Foster Home. It is the prerogative of the Foster Home to buy additional items such as toys, scratching posts, etc., at their own expense. It is understood that fostering is not a short-term event, and that fostering can take several weeks, possibly even months.

3. Vet bills: Pre-approved vet expenses will be reimbursed by ECMCR after the Foster Home sends ECMCR an original receipt for the services rendered. ECMCR must have a copy of a completed Foster Home Application on file before funds will be disbursed. Some cats enter a Foster Home without needing vet care; others need varying degrees of vet care. The initial care required for each cat will be specified. Each cat is later adopted out with a guarantee of having been tested negative for Feline Leukemia Virus and Feline Aids (FeLV/FIV), and up-to-date on certain vaccines. Some of these will be performed while the cat is in foster care, and therefore may not be current on shots or have been tested before they come into the Foster Home. Additional vet care may be needed during the course of fostering, but all such treatments must be discussed with and approved by an Officer first.

3a. Vaccines: ECMCR cannot pay for unnecessary vaccines beyond those pre-approved. Distemper/upper respiratory vaccines are necessary if there is no written proof of current vaccination provided by the previous owner/shelter vet. ECMCR will determine if such proof has been provided, and inform the Foster Home of any vaccines that are necessary. The Rabies vaccine is deemed necessary only if there is no written proof of current Rabies vaccination provided by the previous owner/shelter vet, AND if it is required by law in the area the cat(s) is being fostered, or if the cat will be transported out of state via land or air. ECMCR will not reimburse for vaccines for FeLV, and under no circumstances is a ECMCR cat to be given the vaccine for Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP).

3b. Tests: If there is no written record of the cat having been tested for FeLV/FIV, an Officer will notify the Foster Home as to whether this test needs to be performed. ECMCR will not reimburse for a Corona virus screening unless permission is explicitly given for this procedure beforehand. At present the Officers feel the test does not provide specific enough information as to merit its cost. ECMCR will reimburse for tests such as stool samples, urinalysis and blood screening if pre-approved.

3c. Altering: ECMCR will reimburse the Foster Home for the cost of spaying or neutering any ECMCR cat(s) in their care.

3d. Dentals: Because of the problems associated with gingivitis, ECMCR will usually cover the cost of a dental; however, this is done only in cases of severe deterioration, or if another procedure requiring anesthesia is being done. ECMCR prefers, if possible, to allow the new owner's veterinarian to perform all dental work. Therefore, ECMCR will not reimburse for this procedure unless the state of deterioration has been discussed with and approved by an Officer beforehand.

3e. Emergencies: In the case of a life-and-death emergency, the Foster Home must act in the best interest of the foster cat(s). All effort must be made to contact an Officer in the event of an emergency, but it is understood that sometimes this is not possible. If an emergency occurs, the minimal amount of vet care should be given to ensure the cat(s) is free of pain and out of danger, until an Officer is contacted and further authorization is given. In the case of a severe emergency where euthanasia is recommended by the veterinarian as the best interest of the cat, ECMCR will reimburse for the cost of this procedure. A written report of the event should be made by the veterinarian and sent to ECMCR along with the receipt.

3f. Euthanasia: In some cases ECMCR rescue cats have medical or behavioral problems too advanced to make it possible to responsibly place them in a new home. Unfortunately, sometimes these problems are not discovered, or the extent of them are not discovered, until after they are in foster care. The decision to euthanize a cat is solely that of the Officers. However, once that decision is made, it is the responsibility of the Foster Home to have the procedure performed by a licensed veterinarian. This is a difficult but crucial role of a Foster Home, and any Foster Home must be willing to undertake this assignment. ECMCR will pay for this procedure if pre-approved.

4. Pre-existing pets: ECMCR cats should be kept away from existing pets in the household. ECMCR cannot take responsibility for any injury or illness sustained by a non-ECMCR cat. If the fostering period extends beyond expectation and the Foster Home wishes to introduce the foster cat(s) to existing pets, this should be discussed with and approved by the Director first. Be certain that inoculations on your own animals are kept current. It is necessary to quarantine the rescue cat for two weeks when he first comes into foster care. If you're not equipped to do that, please be sure to let ECMCR know. The cat may need to get a check up and be scheduled for neutering as soon as possible. The Foster Home is an interim placement for the cat. While ECMCR wants you to enjoy the cat, permanent placement will be easier for you both if the cat doesn't become "part of the family." ECMCR knows you care; you wouldn't be providing foster care if you didn't. ECMCR doesn't want you to get burned out. ECMCR doesn't want the cat to settle in and bond strongly with your family only to find that he/she is being sent away again.
5. Behavioral problems: Some ECMCR cats may have behavior problems that require the Foster Home to practice behavior modification techniques. Some examples of problems ECMCR has encountered include: inappropriate litterbox use, spraying, scratching furniture, aggression to humans or other animals, severe shyness/fear of people. Many cases, the cat simply needs to be in a loving, quiet environment away from other pets or noise. In some cases, more extreme measures must be taken by the Foster Home to correct the problem. The Foster Home will be informed of any behavioral problems that the Officers are aware of beforehand, and possible modification techniques discussed. In the event that a cat shows a behavioral problem in the Foster Home that the Officers had not been aware of, the Foster Home must inform an Officer of the problem immediately. The Officer will discuss possible behavior modification techniques, or advise the Foster Home of sources to consult on the problem. Under no circumstances should severe disciplinary or modification correction techniques be applied without the approval of an Officer. Again, the cat(s) is the property and responsibility of ECMCR and if actions are taken that the Officers do not approve the cat will be removed from the care of the Foster Home as soon as possible. ECMCR will rely on you to evaluate the cat in your care so that together, ECMCR can determine the best placement for him/her. It may be necessary to expose him/her to a variety of situations, experiences and types of people. It won't take you long to figure out how secure the cat is, if he has specific fears, etc. Any information you can give us about the cat will help us when we're interviewing prospective people to take him.

6. Previous/Future owners: Although the Foster Home may by necessity come in contact with previous owners or with future adopters, that contact should be limited to the pre-approved realm explicitly indicated by an Officer. Foster Homes are the agents of ECMCR and should not solicit contact with previous owners after the animals are placed in foster care, nor should they solicit contact with new owners after adoption. ECMCR does often provide updates to previous owners or to Foster Homes after their cats have been placed, but this is done expressly through the Officers to avoid potential conflicts and liabilities. After any necessary contact is completed (e.g.: to arrange the picking up or dropping off of a cat), no further contact should be made. If the previous owner attempts to contact the Foster Home, an Officer should be notified immediately. ECMCR also recommends exchanges be made in a neutral location if possible.

7. Involvement in Adoption: Some Foster Homes prefer to be actively involved in the placement of their foster cat(s); others prefer to simply foster the cat and leave the decision-making to the Officers. Foster interaction is necessary with potential adopters and the Officers are especially interested in feedback from the Foster Home on their feelings about the potential adopters. You will need to be prepared to tell them you don't think this is the right cat for the potential adopter if you don't feel comfortable. ECMCR will have screened prospective adopters before sending them to you but a second opinion is extremely valuable. For each adoption, make 2 copies of everything. The Foster Home should keep one copy and one copy should go with the cat to the new adopter. Be sure the new adopter understands that ECMCR will always be available if they have any questions or problems. ECMCR will ask each adopter to pay an Adoption Fee to ECMCR. Please check with the Case the Director for further details about this. ECMCR’s primary goal is to place the cat in a happy and secure home.

8. Liability: The Foster Home accepts responsibility for any and all events that occur in connection with the fostering of an ECMCR cat. The Foster Home agrees to release and indemnify ECMCR from any and all claims, known and unknown, now or hereafter, arising in connection with the cat(s).

9. Attorney Fees and Costs: Should it be necessary for ECMCR or its agents and volunteers to take legal action to recover a foster cat or otherwise enforce any provisions in this agreement, Foster Home agrees to pay all court costs and legal fees.

10. Certification of Full Disclosure: Foster Home attests that all information provided to potential adopter is accurate and complete to the best of the Foster Home's knowledge.

11. Forum, Integration, and Severability: This written agreement constitutes the whole agreement between the undersigned and ECMCR, and no prior oral or written agreements not explicitly included in this document are to be considered as part of this contract. Wherever possible, the terms and conditions of this agreement shall be interpreted in such a manner as to be effective and valid under applicable law, but if any provision shall be prohibited by or invalid under applicable law, such provision shall be ineffective to the extent of such prohibition or invalidity, without invalidating the remainder of such provision or the remaining terms and conditions of this agreement.

12. Multiple Fosterers: Where more than one person or a non-incorporated group entity appears as Foster home in this agreement, each person agrees to be jointly and severably liable under the terms of this agreement, and responsible for compliance with each of its terms and conditions.

13. Liquidated Damages: In the event that the Foster Home abandons or otherwise transfers the cat without the prior written permission of an Officer, or if the cat is abused or mistreated in violation of this agreement, Foster Home agrees to pay ECMCR $500 in liquidated damages, covering costs including but not limited to: veterinary treatment, time and transportation expended in locating the cat, travel expenses in recovering the cat, expenses already invested to improve the cat's health, locate permanent homes, and for legal and other investigative expenses.

http://www.ecmcr.org/