Cats Protection is the UK’s leading feline welfare charity and our vision is a world where every cat is treated with kindness and an understanding of its needs. Cats are at the centre of everything we do and our objectives are: homing, neutering and educating people about cats and their care. We help thousands of cats across the UK each year thanks to our network of dedicated volunteers, staff and supporters.
Across the UK, many cats are cared for by volunteer fosterers who provide a stable, safe and loving environment in their homes or in purpose-built pens in their gardens. They provide vital hands-on care and accommodation to stray or abandoned cats or cats whose owners could sadly no longer keep them, and are part of a dedicated team of volunteers committed to finding new homes for cats in need. Our fosterers carry out this role with support from their local branch or centre.
Most of our fosterers care for one or two cats at a time and enjoy providing lots of TLC to those cats, who have been pre-loved or have had a difficult start in life. Some of our fosterers look after new mums and kittens and provide round-the-clock care to newborns to give them the best start in life.
At Cats Protection we don't want to put barriers in the way of a cat going into foster care. All we ask is that you live within 30 minutes driving time from the centre. This is because you will need to able to visit the centre to collect or drop off cats and to attend vet visits, roughly three times when fostering for two to three weeks. We are too far away from a station for train or tube travel to be feasible to travel by public transport so you will need access to a private car or taxis.
We provide all the equipment and food you will need for your cat in foster so it won't cost you anything!
It is fine if you have other pets in the home, as long as you have a spare room (that is not used for other purposes) where the cat can remain for the duration of the foster. The only circumstances where you would not be able to foster is if your own cat does not go outside or they have stressed-related medical conditions.
There is also no minimum age for children in the household so everyone can enjoy the experience of having a foster cat.
Fostering is a really rewarding experience. You are helping a cat that is either struggling in a cattery environment or is going to have to spend a significant amount of time at the Cats Protection. There is a huge variety of cats that you would be helping, all from the comfort of your own home.
Some examples of cats you might help are:
* Kittens until they are old enough to go home
* Cats that are on medication
* Stray pet cats
* Pregnant cats
* Cats that have shut down in the cattery environment that just need a home to feel safe a secure
Staff are available on email or by phone when you have a question and our knowledgeable team will support you in any way they can.
For an insight from a Cats Protection fosterer click on this link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uamzoc05Dlo
You will develop new skills, expand your knowledge and make a significant contribution to improving the lives of cats and kittens in need by caring for them before they find new, loving homes. You will also meet new people, make new friends and be part of a dedicated team of volunteers.
Our volunteer fosterers usually spend one and a half hours per day on average (around 10 to 13 hours per week) in this role, but this might vary depending on the number of cats or kittens in care. In order to help you feel confident in your fosterer role we ask that prior to looking after your first foster cat you complete some online cat welfare learning modules.
At Cats Protection we believe our volunteers should be happy and confident in their roles. We provide support and guidance from our National Cat Centre and through our regional and local volunteer groups and teams. We offer engaging online and face-to-face training, expenses and have policies and processes to help volunteers get the most out of their time with us.
The wellbeing of our people is important and at Cats Protection we are committed to safeguarding children, adults at risk and all those that we come into contact with as part of our activities.