An Expat’s Guide to Fostering and Adopting Cats in Dubai
If you’re interested in either fostering or adopting a cat in Dubai but don’t know where to start, I’m here to help. This is something I’m super passionate about, so I really hope that my experience helps you find a furry foster friend or even a forever kitty!
This article is all about how I navigated the process of fostering and ultimately adopting two rescue cats here in Dubai. I’ll go over my personal experience and give you some resources on how you can either foster or adopt, depending on which you’re interested in.
There are so many amazing rescue kitties in Dubai (and the UAE) that are looking for loving forever homes. So whether you decide to foster or adopt, know that you’ll be helping to save a life of a sweet Dubai kitty!
A bit about rescue cats in Dubai
Unfortunately, there are a lot of cats in need in Dubai. There is a huge problem with owners and breeders “dumping” cats onto the streets. And the need for fosters and adopters is a real issue. There are so many cats and not enough fosters and adopters.
Breeders will dump cats that are flawed in some way, so it’s common to see designer cats just roaming the streets. And owners all too often put their cats out on the streets for a variety of reasons – from behavioral issues to female cats getting pregnant to pet owners just not wanting to have a cat anymore. It happens all the time.
There are so many street cats in Dubai that the city is home to many of what are known as “cat colonies” and they are teeming with strays. Rescuers, like the ladies of Petooti who I foster for, work really hard to trap and release these cats (meaning the cats are trapped, fixed, and returned to the colony), get medical care for cats in need, feed the cats, and so much more. They do incredible work that is 100% volunteer work.
Of course, there are instances when these cats can’t go back onto the streets. For example, they may have injuries, illnesses, or even be getting bullied by other cats to the point that they won’t make it.
And that is when rescuers like Petooti will make the decision to take them off the streets for good and arrange for them to get fixed, vaccinated, and get medical care before getting them into foster homes with the ultimate goal of rehoming them in either Dubai or abroad. Like I said, they do incredible work.
Using the Petooti website to find cats
There are a lot of cat rescuers in Dubai that have cats and kittens available for both fostering and adoption. You can go to the Petooti website, which is essentially like a Petfinder for the UAE. On the site, rescuers from across the UAE will post cats (and other animals) that are either for adoption or in need of a foster home. You can see photos of the cats, as well as read all about their personalities and what sort of home they need.
The Petooti website has animals from many Dubai rescuers. I personally have only ever worked directly with the actual Petooti team, so here’s a bit about what it was like fostering and adopting through Petooti.
My journey fostering cats in Dubai
When my husband and I moved to Dubai in 2022, we knew that we wanted to foster a cat or maybe even two. We’re both huge cat lovers but because we travel so much, committing to adopt a cat was just not in the cards for us (or so we thought!). But the idea of fostering cats in Dubai seemed like a win-win!
By fostering, we could help some of the many Dubai rescue cats find their forever homes while getting all the kitty cuddles we wanted. At the time, we were totally new to Dubai and had no idea where to start. So we started googling “fostering cats in Dubai” and searching on Dubai Facebook groups for cat foster opportunities.
In all honesty, we had a hard time finding a rescue group we trusted. But we finally came across an organization called Petooti that specializes in rescuing and rehoming street cats here in Dubai. So we filled out a foster form and started on our foster journey.
It turns out Petooti is made up of a small and lovely group of women who volunteer an impressive amount of time, money, and energy to caring for, rescuing, and rehoming cats in Dubai. They’re amazing to work with and we’ve now been fostering for them for three years!
In the past three years we’ve had the pleasure of helping the women of Petooti find forever homes for over 20 foster cats and kittens. It’s been an amazing journey and I’m so happy I found an organization who cares about their rescue and rehoming work as much as Petooti does.
In December 2024, we finally fell in love with our fosters Elliott and Lola and decided to keep them forever. This is what we call a foster fail! But even though we’ve now adopted, we still open our home up to fosters because we just love helping kitties in need.
Getting started with the cat fostering process
After having a lengthy and lovely call/interview with one of the rescuers at Petooti, my husband and I were committed to welcoming a cat or two into our Dubai apartment. One thing that was much appreciated about the pre-foster process is that it was as much of an interview for us as it was for the Petooti team.
They wanted to make sure we were excellent foster candidates who could provide a good home to these cats in need. And we really just wanted to make sure they were legit and get a better understanding of the foster process and what it would actually entail (more on this below).
The team made sure to ask what our ideal foster kitty would be like as well as what our home life was like: for example, did we have kids, did we live in a small apartment or large villa, were we home enough to handle a cat that needed more attention, were we open to more than one cat, what cat personality would we prefer, etc.
We answered the questions and they said they’d get back to us with photos and info about the Petooti rescue cats that they thought would fit with us and our home situation the best.
Once we did the pre-foster interview and made arrangements to take in our first foster cats, Reggie and Hunter, two of the Petooti ladies brought them to our apartment. I knew they would bring a starter kit with a litter box, some litter, and some food. But they also brought everything the cats would need, from a large scratching post to toys galore.
While Petooti did provide a generous amount of food, litter, toys, and cat paraphernalia, it’s the fosterer’s responsibility to provide the food, litter, and miscellaneous costs after that. As fosterers, we do pay for the basics, but we do not need to worry about covering any medical bills. For example, we’ve had a few of our fosters need medical attention and the Petooti team is always quick to whisk them away to the vet or send us meds.
Getting our first foster kitties
Affectionately referred to by the Petooti ladies as “The Boys,” Reggie and Hunter arrived in our home in January 2023. They had both been rescued from the streets of Dubai and both of their backstories are absolutely heartbreaking. Before they came to us, they were in really bad shape with respiratory issues and other injuries.
Reggie and Hunter became bonded and inseparable during their rescue journeys. Once they were healed up, we took them in and these quirky and hilarious kitties lived with us for six months, giving us endless laughs, cuddles, and meows. While Reggie was outgoing, playful, and super affectionate, Hunter was reserved and happy observing us from across the room. But despite being so different from one another, they absolutely loved each other!
Saying goodbye to our first foster kitties
I’d say the hardest part about fostering cats is letting them go. I cried for an entire day when I learned I’d have to say goodbye to Reggie and Hunter, and I still think about them all the time. But the hard parts of fostering are worth it because Reggie and Hunter are now living in their forever home in Seattle, Washington. So that part makes my heart full!
Since then, we’ve fostered roughly two dozen cats and kittens and it has been such a fun journey. And despite the fact that we now have our two forever cats, I can’t imagine not having at least one foster kitty in our home!
Fostering cats in Dubai has just been the very best experience for us. But of course, there are also challenges, like that time all of our kittens had giardia or when two of our kittens went into heat! Good and bad, we love that we’ve played some small role in helping so many beautiful cats and kittens find their forever homes.
With so many rescue cats in Dubai, fosters are always in high demand. Because there are not enough fosters, so many of these rescue cats are in cages, which always breaks my heart.
If you’re thinking about adopting or fostering cats in Dubai, please feel free to contact me at thetravellush@gmail.com. Fostering cats here is something I’ve become very involved in and I’m more than happy to chat and answer any questions.
And don’t worry; you don’t have to foster 4+ cats at a time like we have. Taking in one is absolutely fine and you can rest assured you’re going to make that kitty very happy as it waits for its forever home!
