Most cats come in to the program with only an ID number. Foster homes are free to name their foster cat(s), but please keep in mind the following:

• Over 2000 cats come through our program each year. Avoid commonly used names such as Kitty, Lucy, Tiger, etc.

• The more unique the name, the more the cat will stand out and increase its chances for adoption

• Avoid names that could be considered inappropriate, derogatory, offensive or insulting

• Avoid names that are hard to pronounce or spell

• Themes are a creative way of naming a litter

• Most adopters will change the name of the cat

Once you have decided on a name please advise your foster coordinator so that she can update our records and database.

Creating an attractive website profile is key to getting your foster cat or kitten quickly adopted into a new home. Accentuate the positive and let potential adopters know why they should consider your cat. You will improve your cat’s chances of finding a home if you write a thorough description. A good bio is part press release, part story telling. Don’t turn it into a lengthy restaurant review, but instead try to pull the reader into the bio so that they can start to imagine a life with this new feline friend.

It can be very helpful to read the bios of other similar cats on Petfinder.com or Adoptapet.com. We encourage you to tell it from the animal’s perspective--the most compelling thing you can write on behalf of an animal is what you imagine the animal is thinking, feeling or remembering. A list of just facts probably won’t catch a potential adopter’s eye.

TCR has designed a handy form to help you submit a complete and interesting bio.

The Personality paragraph should describe “who your cat is.” This will help a potential adopter visualize the cat by providing specific personality traits.

Use the Funny Quirks paragraph to provide information about training, tricks or cute behavior.

If you know anything about your cat's history, you can provide that information in the History box.

The Special Needs box is for those cats who require medical attention. Note that we do not consider a cat to have Special Needs if they: are FIV positive; require special food; have missing or deformed limbs; need an adult-only home; are shy; are indoor/outdoor.

The Special Notes from My Foster Family box allows for any additional information that the foster family thinks prospective adopters should be aware of: For example "If we had the room for another permanent cat, we would adopt Kitty in an instant!" or "At this time, Kitty is very shy around young children, but mature children over the age of 12 would be fine."

We can’t stress this enough...a picture is worth a thousand words. The picture is the first thing people see when they visit the listing on our website and affiliated partner websites. If the cat has a poor picture, visitors may move on to another cat without clicking or reading your cat’s description. If you want to give your cat the best chance possible, take large, clear, good quality (high resolution) pictures of the cat alone. A good picture is often the difference between a cat who generates inquiries and one who doesn’t.

Tips

• Take a lot of digital pictures. You may have to take 50 pictures to get 1 or 2 really great shots. If you don’t have a digital camera, borrow one from a friend or contact your foster coordinator and we can arrange for a special photo session.

• Pictures taken in natural light are usually much better than those taken with a flash. Lighting is very important for accurately capturing a cat’s coloring and detail. Have the sun or light source behind you and check to make sure you’re not casting a shadow on your subject.

• Use treats and/or a toy to capture the cat’s best expression. Sometimes having two people makes this process easier.

• Try taking pictures using a neutral backdrop. Select a background that contrasts with the cat’s coloring. Darker‐colored cats will show up better against a lighter backdrop. Most cats look great against a lush green lawn.

• The cat is the subject of your picture so the cat should take up the majority of space in your picture. Avoid excessive amounts of background. The cat’s eyes should be focused on you.

• Try to capture at least one “hero” shot, where the focus is on the cat's face. A full body picture is also a great way to show size and scale.

• Pictures should be in focus with the cat's eyes open and ears forward.

• Check out the competition. Visit Petfinder.com and look at the photos of similar cats and see which ones pop out to you. Then try to mimic these shots with your own foster cat.
  If your first attempts fail, don’t be discouraged. Just keep trying and have fun. When you are having fun, your foster cat will probably be having fun too!
  

Once you have prepared a bio and taken pictures please submit them to TCR by clicking here so we can get them posted on the website. Please remember that all cats must be healthy, vaccinated, spayed/neutered and through their 2-week quarantine before their bio can be submitted.