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.
Our vision for volunteering
Volunteering is and always will be at the heart of Cats Protection. It is joyful and inclusive. As a charity, working in partnership, together we transform the lives of cats, people and communities.
The difference you will make to cats and people
From elderly moggies to energic kittens, every day across the UK cats and kittens are in need of a temporary place to stay, and lots of love and TLC! We need more fosterers like you to provide a safe, temporary haven for cats and kittens and provide them with everything they need before they get their chance to land on their four paws and make a house a home.
You can expect us to
- Make you feel welcome, included and respected in line with our values and behaviours
- Support you in having a positive and impactful experience at Cats Protection
- Ensure you have all you need in place to foster the cat(s) in your care, for example equipment and food
- Cover all your foster cats’ expenses and agreed out-of-pocket expenses in line with our Expenses Policy
- Provide you with access to learning, development and engagement opportunities
A bit more information about this role and the team
We’re looking for dedicated, compassionate fosterers to care for some of the most vulnerable cats in our care — pregnant queens, new mums, and their kittens. Maternity fostering gives these families a calm, safe space to thrive, away from the busier environment of our admissions site.
To foster a mum and her kittens, you’ll need a dedicated spare room where they can settle, give birth if needed, and raise their kittens in a quiet, secure environment. This space is essential for keeping mum relaxed and ensuring kittens grow into healthy, well‑balanced youngsters through regular, gentle socialisation. Because these little families stay together until the kittens are old enough to be seperated from mum and come into the centre for adoption, we’re ideally looking for fosterers with the time to give, who can commit to caring for them for several weeks at a time.
As a maternity fosterer, you’ll be:
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Providing a quiet, stable environment for mum and her kittens
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Monitoring mum’s wellbeing and supporting her through labour if required
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Helping kittens develop through early handling and socialisation
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Following hygiene and care protocols to keep everyone safe
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Being comfortable with lots of cleaning — kittens get messy as they grow and explore
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Bringing the family to our site for check‑ups when needed
We know this is a big responsibility, but it’s also incredibly rewarding. You’ll be helping kittens get the very best start in life and giving mum the fresh start she deserves once she’s ready to move on. You don’t need previous experience with newborn kittens — full training, equipment, and ongoing support are provided. What matters most is patience, confidence around cats and kittens, and the ability to stay calm and observant during those early, important weeks,
If you have the time, space, and love to offer a maternity foster home, we’d be delighted to hear from you!
What we need from you
- A stable, safe and compassionate environment in your home or in a purpose-built pen in your garden provided by us
- Enrich the cats’ experience in care including play, exercise and appropriate handling/interaction
- A willingness to complete some training in order to provide high standards of cat welfare
- Introduce cats to prospective adopters so they can find their forever home
- You can find out more about being a Fosterer on our website
Time expectation
Our volunteer fosterers usually spend around one and a half hours per day (around 10 to 13 hours per week) in this role, but this might vary depending on the number of cats or kittens in care.
You may be just the volunteer we've been looking for!
We are committed to building a diverse, compassionate and inclusive organisation where everyone can be themselves and do their best. We are courageous and compassionate in our purpose of helping people see the world through cats’ eyes. Together, we can make a difference. Together, we are all for cats. Join the UK’s leading cat welfare charity and help make a better life for cats, because life is better with cats.
