Coronavirus Coverage: Fostering Pets, Morning Shows, and a New Hand-Washing Song

In the last week as the coronavirus outbreak began to affect more Americans, animal shelters began to think ahead. They wondered what would happen to pets when people were evicted, lost their jobs and if people wanted to foster pets.

Many animal shelters around the country put callouts on their websites for applications to their fostering programs. The Animal Care Centers of NYC received 2,000 applications to foster a pet but had only 200 available slots.

“One of the reasons we found that people are unable to adopt pets in New York City is because they are never home,” said Katy Hansen, a spokeswoman for the center. “They say it is not fair to the animal, or they are not able to spend enough time with them.”

According to Ms. Hansen, fostering is a great way to find out if a pet will be able to acclimate to a household. She compared it to dating.

“You are bringing a pet into your home and there is not a long-term commitment,” she said. “You are seeing how it would work.”

Dating someone new during the current pandemic poses its own set of risks, but fostering a pet can provide companionship with little risk of contracting coronavirus.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said there was no proof that pets could get the virus or spread it. According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, coronavirus is more readily transmitted via nonporous surfaces like metal and plastic than porous ones like pet fur, which tends to trap the virus.

For some people, having a pet at this time does not only relieve the loneliness brought on by a quarantine or social distancing, it helps structure the day.

Rebecca Applebaum, a teacher who lives alone in Manhattan, said that fostering a litter of kittens from the A.S.P.C.A. has helped her keep a schedule during her days at home.

“The routine of feeding them every day gives me structure,” Ms. Applebaum said. “With the pandemic situation, it is nice to have them.”