We urgently need to recruit more fosterers, as kitten season will soon be back with a vengeance! The recent mild weather may mean it comes sooner than last year, increasing the risk to vulnerable litters when there's a cold snap.
We often have a long waiting list of cats needing to come in to care, and not enough room to take them all - one extra foster home could make the world of difference! Fosterers play a vital role in caring for rescue cats/kittens whilst they wait for their forever homes. Indoor fosterers care for the cat inside their own home, and even if you go out to work, or have other pets, you can still become a fosterer. You don't even need a garden to foster.
Fostering can also be as long or as short term as you like, and there is no upper age limit to becoming a fosterer. You'll be supported with food and litter, vet bills and backup and advice. As well as daily care for the cats/kittens, you'll also need to be available for potential adopters to view your charges, and bring them along to our homing days, which take place every couple of months.
Each cat has a different personality, and a different story, and will react to being fostered differently. Sometimes they have been through ordeals that we may never know about, others are just bewildered as to why they have lost their family. There can sometimes be medical or behavioural problems to overcome, but a caring fosterer can really turn their lives around for the better.
What our fosterers say:
Heather Tait became a temporary indoor fosterer over the Christmas period. She had this to say, “I heard that Cats Protection were struggling to find enough fosterers over the Christmas period as some prefer to take a break, plus the unusually mild weather meant there were more kittens than usual for the time of year. I offered to foster some kittens over Christmas and took in Amir and Sameena (pictured), aged 5 weeks.
"They were an absolute delight and my 6 and 4 year old boys fell instantly in love. They were very timid as they had been found abandoned in a shed and did not really know how to react to humans, but both accepted a stroke. I have had cats all my life so I had experience but really all we needed was patience.
"After a few days both kittens came right out of their shells and now spend most evenings curled up on our laps. They are now the warmest, most affectionate cats I have ever met.
"It has been such a pleasure to help these kittens reach their potential. They'll be a lovely addition to any family as they are great with children. I will happily open my home to more foster kittens in the future.”
Nicole Evans is one of our long-serving fosterers and has a specially equipped, heated cat cabin in her garden. She said, "Fostering cats and kittens is such a great experience - please do think about it. Most people ask how I can give up my foster kittens - the truth is there are always so many others waiting to be rescued - so it's great that they go to loving, caring homes - meaning we can free up space to help even more unwanted cats and kittens."
Purr-lease get in touch if you think you might be able to offer a temporary home to some kittens or cats. Just ring the helpline on 0845 260 1503 and ask to speak to Nicole.