If you want, I could email you a form I recently filled out for a shelter
when I adopted a kitten.  Let me know if you'd like it.

Sue

First I would ask if they have had pets before and if so the name of the vet.  Then I
would check with the vet and see what kind of care they took of the pet,

I adopted a cat on Monday from a shelter.  They required 2 forms of ID (one
photo, one with proof of address) and I filled out a form that asked stuff
like: who else lives with you; any other pets; vet name; job info.  7 years
ago when I got Stinky & Harriet from North Shore Animal League, they also
asked for names & phone numbers of two references. NSAL also asked about
past pets my family had when I was growing up, and what happened to them!

--
Liz

You need to find out where they live. If an apartment, do they have
permission from the landlord to have a cat. Who lives with them? Is the cat
suitable for the situation?
Have they had animals before? What happened to them?
Vet reference. Ask vet about the care other animals get. Any injuries that
might indicate the cat is an outdoor cat? Do they cough up the cash to take
proper care of any other animals (you define proper care. It's your foster,
you make the rules)
Ask for personal references. Do they think the person is a good pet owner.
Is the applicant in a stable situation? (ie. student living off campus who
might be moving back home in another year and may or may not be able to take
the cat with them - not stable)
Why do they want to adopt this animal?
If it's a first time pet owner, did they grow up with pets. What happened to
those animals? This isn't as clear cut because just because someone's
parents are a**holes and aren't the kind of pet owner you might want your
kitty with doesn't necessarily indicate this person will be. They you need
to open up conversation with the applicant and see what their attitudes
toward pet stewardship are.

I'm sure there are other questions - de-claw, inside outside etc. but the
trick is not to directly ask some of these questions. Questions must be
carefully worded so you don't reveal the answer your looking for. If you
catch them in a lie, no matter how apparently insignificant. deny the
application. You can't trust anything they tell you then.

You have to be tough or these guys stand the chance of ending up back on the
street. Too many people see animals as disposable. I hate to tell you how
many cats we've had recently who were left outside to fend for themselves
because their people moved and just left them behind.

W