3) Help find and screen potential adopters.
Helping your foster cat find a new home will keep you in the mindset that he won't be with you for good. Ask the shelter or rescue group how you can help. Maybe you can take great photos and write a detailed description of your foster cat for his Petfinder profile, or ask your friends to share a link to his Petfinder page on Facebook.

Find out if the rescue group or shelter will let you help screen potential adopters. Some organizations will rely heavily on you, while others don't require foster parents to ever meet potential adopters.

You'll feel more comfortable saying goodbye when you know your foster cat is going to a great forever home -- and your efforts increase the chances that he'll find that home.

4) Remember that letting go of this one enables you to save another life.
If keeping this foster cat means you can't take in another cat in need, then you could be missing out. And the other cats in need are definitely missing out.

Remember that, while each adoption saves a life, a great foster parent can save many lives, by socializing and rehabilitating cats who might not find homes while living in a shelter.

5) Ask for follow-up stories and pictures from your foster cat's adopter.
The hands-down best moment of fostering a cat for me is dropping my foster off at his new home. Teary? Yes, often. But still the best, because I get to see how much better his life is going to be from now on.

If you've met your cat's adopter, ask him or her for an e-mail update and pictures. You might not always get them, but when you do you'll be on cloud nine.

If you're fostering with an organization where you don't meet the adopters, talk to the shelter staffer who did the adoption and ask for as much info as you can get about the adopters. (Just be sure to do it soon, while they can remember!)

Ok, none of these tips will completely alleviate the pain of letting go of your foster cat, nor will any of them ensure you won't get attached. But think, if the worst that happens is that you fall in love with your foster cat and end up with a new family member, is that really so bad? Wes, my most recent "failed" foster certainly doesn't think so -- and neither do I.

Tips for Letting Go When Your Foster Cat Is Adopted

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