Have you ever thought what it would be like to foster cats for Cats Protection?

Our cats need a lot of looking after, breakfast, dinner and sometimes lunch, chalet maid service, hairdressing and entertainment, nursing and chauffering to vets to name some of the chores you would be taking on.

Here is the story of how our latest fosterer joined the Swale team in memory of dear Marmalade.

From Marmalade to cabins

It all started with a ginger puss cat called Marmalade, he appeared at the back door just before Christmas 2009, and looked a sorry sight, his face was quite marked where he had been in fights.  I gave him some Felix which he turned his nose up at so I tried some warm milk to which he devoured in no time at all, he then went to the end of the garden in the fur trees for a wash and brush up.

A little later he would turn up again for more milk, he certainly was a cheeky little chap.  It got to the point where he would appear at the back door every night so being a cat lover with cats of my own I set up a couple of pillows with a hot water bottle underneath so he would at least  have a warm nights sleep.  He started visiting so regularly that I called Bev Holman for advice, Bev suggested I meet her at the vets to get Marmalade checked over.  Following the vet check it was decided to book Marmalade into a cabin at Val's so he could hopefully recover from his injuries then be re-homed. 

He had a long stay at Val's as he never really appeared to fully recover, finally one day he was given a home by a couple that have had cats from us before, but, on a trip to the vets it was suggested he should be checked for the calicivirus due to the sores around his mouth.  He was tested and sadly the result came back positive so it was decided that the best course of action was to put poor Marmalade to sleep.  

This then got me thinking, perhaps I should become a fosterer for Swale Cats Protection; following discussions with Bev, Val and my partner Gary, it was decided the hunt for a secondhand pen should start, nothing seemed to be available within the CP network so Bev agreed to fund a pair of new pens.  It seemed ages following the order going in waiting for a  delivery date, but eventually the cabins and construction team arrived and the assembly started, we decided that the best place was on one side of the garden decking to save putting down a new base. 

It didn’t take very long for the guys to complete the assembly work and for Gary to put in a few extra special touches.  All that was left then was for me to install the required soft furnishings and await my first cats, as you can imagine that didn’t take very long as Bev picked a couple of cats straight from the long waiting list and that was me open for business, landlady at the Queenborough Cat-o-tel. 

I’m really loving cat fostering and wish I’d started earlier, a big thank you to my partner Gary who was sceptical at first but I think he now loves the cats as much as I do and thanks to Bev, Val and Sylvia for agreeing to let me foster for Swale CP.

Tina 

If you are interested in fostering click here for more information.