Moggie Monday - Meet the fosterer
01 March 2022
Meet Natalie on of our local fosterers.....
Animals have been part of my life for as long as I can remember and I currently share my home with 3 dogs and 3 cats. Although I was aware of Cats Protection I knew very little about fostering.
I then saw a post on Facebook asking if people would consider becoming fosterers. We are fortunate to have a garden to put a pen in and my husband was in agreement as long as I promised not to want to keep all the cats I fostered.
The foster cat lives in an outside pen. It has a heated compartment at the back where the cat can sleep or hide away. It also has lighting making it easy to tend to the cat in the winter when there is little natural light. My own pets do not come into contact with them and take no notice at all. Quite often, though, I will see one of the foster cats sitting on the shelf in the window watching my dogs as they play in the garden. In general, the cats are pretty easy to care for. As well as feeding them and cleaning the litter tray most of them enjoy company and I will often take my garden chair and sit and talk to them in the pen. Over time, even the most nervous cats will come to see you. However, some are more challenging than others!
My first foster cat arrived in March 2021 and he was one of the more challenging ones. He was a long term, stray, unneutered tom cat who was very scared, growly and hissy. He spent the first week hiding in his box and only came out when he was alone. I spent a lot of time sitting in my garden chair talking to him. The day he came up to me and rubbed his head on my hand was a great day. After that he grew in confidence eventually meeting me at the door to the pen when I went to see him and even allowing me to pick him up. Once he realised he was safe he was a lovely, friendly boy. Cats Protection supply everything including food, litter and even beds and toys. They also help with transport to vets if needed.
Since becoming a fosterer I have met a whole new circle of people and as well as fosterer get togethers we meet up and have evenings out too. I really enjoy being a fosterer and know that the cats will only be with me for a short while. But it is so rewarding to see a photo of a cat that came to me so scared and nervous, confident and comfortable relaxing in their new forever home.
Thank you Natalie for sharing your story