Introducing and Showing Off Your Foster Kitty

Whether on Zoom or in person, choose how to show off your foster cat’s best attributes based on your experiences with the cat.

Here are some tips:

  • Engage the cat in play. Show off the cat’s favorite toys.

  • Pet or brush the cat to show their tolerance for touch.

  • Show the cat sitting in your lap or snuggling in a blanket.

  • Give the cat a treat to encourage interaction.

  • Do not use your hands as a toy; have toys nearby.

As you’re showing off your kitty, you can discuss their general habits and behaviors. Here are some things you might focus on:

  • Talk about what the cat’s average day is like.

  • Discuss the cat’s behavior when they first arrived with you versus how they behave now. Focus on positive growth. For example, if the cat was shy or scared, mention this and then talk about how much they’ve come out of their shell.

  • Talk about the cat’s likes and dislikes. Describe a range of objects and activities that your foster cat enjoys.

  • What are their favorite locations in the house? If they sleep in the bed with you, mention this. Do they like high places or cubbies? Do they sit in the sun and watch the great outdoors? 

  • If relevant, demonstrate how the cat may get over-stimulated.

Meet & Greets

Meet & Greets are a very important part of our adoption process. These are scheduled after the adoption team has reviewed the adoption application and conducted an initial zoom screening of the applicant. After the applicant goes through the screening and the adoption team believes there is a potential match, we will coordinate a time to meet with you and the potential adopter(s) to introduce them to your foster cat. 

Depending on the cat, we might set up either a Zoom meet & greet or an in-person meeting. We will often start with a Zoom call for shy cats that will most likely be uncomfortable meeting a new person.

If the initial meet & greet is by Zoom, one or more of our adoption coordinators will be on the call to support the meeting. We recommend joining the Zoom meeting from your smartphone or tablet. This way, you’ll be able to better maneuver the camera to show off your foster kitty as they move around the room. You may have to download the Zoom app beforehand. Please try to keep your mobile device as steady as possible when you move it around to follow the cat.

If the meet & greet is in person, our adoption coordinator will most likely not be there. If you prefer to have a Dancing Cat volunteer join you for the meet & greet, we will accommodate this

Do not assume that the adopter has been approved for adoption of your cat; there may be other adopters in the wings, and the adopter may be meeting more than one cat.

Answering questions

The potential adopters will likely ask you questions about the kitty. Answer these as truthfully as possible, while staying positive with your answers. If the potential adopters ask about the actual adoption process, please refer these questions to the adoption counselor to handle.

Note: We ask you to leave discussion of behavioral or medical issues to our cat behaviorist and medical team. You might have to talk through the process of giving a cat medication, but you don’t need to worry about discussing long-term implications or follow-up care; we’ll handle that!

Giving input after the Meet & Greet

Your input on the potential adoption is welcome. If your meet & greet is in person, the adopter may say things to you that they didn’t say during the adoption interview. Seeing them interact with your cat may be insightful. This information can be helpful in our decision making.  Your feedback is welcomed via communication with your foster coordinator. 

We do not approve adoptions of foster cats during the meeting or immediately after the meeting. We want the potential adopters to think about their decision. We also want to have an opportunity to speak with you regarding your thoughts on the meeting. We want to ensure that the fit is good for both the cat and adopter. Please refrain from promising any outcome directly to the adoption applicant.  

The final decision about any given adoption is up to the adoption counselors.