I’ve been volunteering for CP for 3 years now but it feels like only yesterday that my house didn’t have a cat in every room!!

Thankfully I run my business from home so I have lots of time to spend with my own 7 cats (this is what happens when you foster and then fall in love them! Rosie - who is that gorgeous fluffy kitten on our home page, was one who didn’t leave!) and any foster fluffies I have in my care. Currently there are 3 kittens, coming up to 5 months old who I’ve had for about 6 weeks or so. They were a very nervous bunch when they arrived, any slight movement and they’d be gone but we’re building up the trust nicely now and they have no qualms about climbing up my curtains and racing each other up and down my spiral staircase! The only girl kitten is called Florence (top right). She was in quite a state when Angie, another CP volunteer, collected her. She had a terrible eye ulcer and despite weeks of drops, creams and drugs it was felt best that her eye be removed so she is now a very much happier one-eyed kitty.

So my average day is to get up and tend to all the furry and feathered friends who live here (we keep rescued battery chickens and ducks) then go and spend some time with the foster kits who live in my spare bedroom. They have their brekkie, I clear out the gifts they have left for me in the litter tray and then we have lots of cuddles before I go and do some work. If all my own cats are outside I let the kittens have a roam around part of the house so they can burn off some of their excess energy! Some of my fosters like to get into everything, Crumble (right) loved the condensation on my windows!

Inevitably there are quite a few trips to the vets, either for injections, micro-chipping, neutering etc so I am back and forth to the vets on a very regular basis. Why I don’t have my own special chair with my name on it I don’t know. Though, as Stacey who works at the vets is still laughing about, it appears I call them more than I do my own parents. I wanted to have a chat with my dad the other day but had absent-mindedly rung the vets instead!  Not sure they will let me live that down… ;-)

Whenever possible I also help out with fundraising, lending a hand with leaflet drops and taking my foster lot to re-homing events.  It’s great going along to all the various CP days as I am no longer the solitary crazy cat lady – there’s loads of us!!

I am also one of the home visitors who goes to meet prospective adoptive families who want to take on a CP cat. 99% of the time I give the thumbs up but Chris Osborne (branch Co-Ordinator) is Top Cat and she makes the final decisions.
Then there comes the day when someone comes to meet one of your foster cats/kittens and wants to take them away to give them a good home. I always find this bit hard, especially if I’ve had the little monkeys in my care for a long time. It’s a great day for them but I always have a little cry once I watch that little carry case with my 4-legged friend inside disappearing out of view down the drive. They are off to a new and hopefully very long and happy life though. Lots of fosterers told me the handing over bit would get easier but I guess I am an exception to the rule! But, 3 years on and I’m still doing it so it’s worth the tears.

In my time of fostering I have had one family name their cat after me (that’s me and Mickey on the right), what an honour that is! I have received letters and e-mails and texts from so many happy new families who love their new addition(s) and that makes it all worth while.

If you would like a rewarding experience and want to give some of your time and volunteer for the MidWarwickshire Cats Protection, please contact us on 01926 334849 or email Midwarwickcats@hotmail.com, it could change your life, and will really make a difference!