As a foster-based rescue, great marketing is a must! We know you want to find the purr-fect home for your foster kittens, and great pictures, videos & a phenomenal bio are the best way to make that happen. We post our kittens across multiple adoption platforms & on our Facebook & Instagram pages.
Don't feel confident about taking great photos? That's totally ok. We are here to help! You CAN get great photos of your kittens with a smart phone. It just takes a little practice.
Tips:
1. You want the kitten to be facing a light source. You don't want the light source behind them. Natural light is usually great! Place your kitten so the sunlight from your window is shining on their face. Then snap the pic.
2. Remove any trash or junk from the photo. Pee pads, litter boxes, water bottles, your uncle's beer belly, etc should not be in the photo! Remove them from the area prior to snapping any pics.
3. Take lots of pictures at once OR video record & then screenshot. Kittens move A LOT! It can be hard to get them to stay still to take a good photo. Try snapping multiple photos (literally tap that capture button over and over again) or you can take a video and then pause the video and screenshot it at the perfect time.
4. Put the kitten in a basket or decorative bowl. Since kittens move so much, you can place them in a basket or decorative bowl and then take a picture. This can help keep them contained.
5. Eye Contact. The best photos usually have the kitten looking directly into the camera. Use a toy, bell, etc and shake it while you hold your phone. You can also gently blow on their face to get them to look directly into the camera while you snap your pics.
6. Get on their level. Generally, you want your camera to be at the same level as the kitten. Taking pictures standing up of kittens that are on the ground often doesn't turn out great. Either raise the kitten up onto a table/couch, etc or get down on the ground to take the photo.
Don't feel confident about taking great photos? That's totally ok. We are here to help! You CAN get great photos of your kittens with a smart phone. It just takes a little practice.
Tips:
1. You want the kitten to be facing a light source. You don't want the light source behind them. Natural light is usually great! Place your kitten so the sunlight from your window is shining on their face. Then snap the pic.
2. Remove any trash or junk from the photo. Pee pads, litter boxes, water bottles, your uncle's beer belly, etc should not be in the photo! Remove them from the area prior to snapping any pics.
3. Take lots of pictures at once OR video record & then screenshot. Kittens move A LOT! It can be hard to get them to stay still to take a good photo. Try snapping multiple photos (literally tap that capture button over and over again) or you can take a video and then pause the video and screenshot it at the perfect time.
4. Put the kitten in a basket or decorative bowl. Since kittens move so much, you can place them in a basket or decorative bowl and then take a picture. This can help keep them contained.
5. Eye Contact. The best photos usually have the kitten looking directly into the camera. Use a toy, bell, etc and shake it while you hold your phone. You can also gently blow on their face to get them to look directly into the camera while you snap your pics.
6. Get on their level. Generally, you want your camera to be at the same level as the kitten. Taking pictures standing up of kittens that are on the ground often doesn't turn out great. Either raise the kitten up onto a table/couch, etc or get down on the ground to take the photo.
Action Shots
Generally, you want at least one great profile picture of the kitten where it is just them and they are looking into the camera. That will be their primary photo. Then you want 3-4 photos of them "in action."
Think... if I were adopting a kitten, what would I want to see?
Pictures of them with the family dog or playing with your kids are great examples. Pictures of them just being playful or sleepy are great too!
Think... if I were adopting a kitten, what would I want to see?
Pictures of them with the family dog or playing with your kids are great examples. Pictures of them just being playful or sleepy are great too!
Videos
We try to put together a video for each litter of kittens that will also post along with their photos. Our team generally edits out audio, so don't worry about what is being said while you are recording. We will take multiple clips and splice them together.
Take lots of video and upload the along with your photos! Try your best to capture your foster kittie's personality in these videos. Bonus points for videos that include kids, dogs or other cats.
Take lots of video and upload the along with your photos! Try your best to capture your foster kittie's personality in these videos. Bonus points for videos that include kids, dogs or other cats.
How you can help market them
Family & friends of our foster parents are often who end up adopting foster pets. Be sure to post your fosters on your personal social media accounts & feel free to get creative! Bring your kittens to the office with you if your company allows it... show them off at family dinner, etc.
Remember adoptions can be easily processed over the phone, so its easy for your friends and family to adopt.
Remember adoptions can be easily processed over the phone, so its easy for your friends and family to adopt.
Resources
Check out these resources to help you get great pictures of your kittens
- How to take photos of kittens: cell phone edition
- Foster's take Better Pictures than Experts
- The Foster Caregiver Marketing Guide: Getting Pets Adopted Directly from Foster Homes
- 9 Best Tips for Taking the Cutest Kitten Photography
- How to take photos of kittens: cell phone edition
- Foster's take Better Pictures than Experts
- The Foster Caregiver Marketing Guide: Getting Pets Adopted Directly from Foster Homes
- 9 Best Tips for Taking the Cutest Kitten Photography