What is a Cat Fosterer?
Our fosterers take on the care of cats and kittens that have come to us for re-homing. They care for these cats until such time as the right home can be found for them
We provide single, double or treble garden pens to enable these cats to be cared for in a safe environment.
A single unit could hold up to three cats from the same household, a mother and kittens or a litter of self-sufficient kittens. Double and treble units can therefore hold two or three times this number. Fosterers are provided with comprehensive help and guidelines, along with all the equipment they will need. If you are interested in becoming one of our dedicated fosterers, we can arrange for an experienced fosterer to talk to you about what is involved
A Day In The Life Of A Cat Fosterer (Written by one of our current Fosterers)
My first contact with Cats Protection, then The Cats Protection League, was 16 years ago when I adopted my first CP cat, when I was living in Staffordshire. Since moving to Worcester, I saw an article in the local newsletter, approximately two years ago, saying they were recruiting fosterers. I rang them and became a foster mum and have never looked back.
My day starts with the feeding round. The cats in the pen get fed first and then my own cats get fed one by one on various diets' and in their own places. After a very welcoming cup of tea, which I am allowed to drink while one of my own cats (ex CP) sits on my chest and purrs in my ear. I get washed and dressed and have my breakfast.
The next thing is cat litter trays and clean the pens. This can vary in frequency from day to day depending on how many cats I have in and whether they are adult cats or cats and kittens. Usually it is a once a day job. Needless to say it takes longer to clean a pen containing kittens, as I just have to give them all their morning cuddles!
As my pen is a double pen I then repeat the cleaning routine in the other side, sometimes it can take half an hour to clean out the pen, sometimes longer depending on how many cuddles they all get! Any new cats have to be taken to the vets for their health checks and if necessary then wormed, and flea preparation applied. The pens have to be disinfected as each cat is re-homed and prepared for the next arrival.
I also do home visits for people that want to adopt a cat, and along with shopping for cat food and visiting the local refuse tip with used cat litter that must be disposed of my days and weeks are very full. There is always the cuddles and grooming each cat needs, which can vary from cat to cat.
Of course the most important part of being a foster mum is showing people your cats or kittens who are interested in adopting. Sometimes they may go away without adopting one of my cats but it has to be the right cat for the right person and sometimes cats do not show themselves very well in the pen. This can be a bit on the down side but knowing they have chosen one of the other CP cats is a reward in itself.
I firmly believe that the cats actually choose their new owners! But all in all it is so rewarding to see these cats going to loving homes. It was my biggest fear that I would become upset as each cat left for their new home, but in fact it is quite the opposite as I know the new owners have gone through all the stages to enable them to find their new member of the family. The final part is paperwork, which I usually do when I have a quite afternoon, but it is usually with the help of my oldest cat Domino, who is not quite yet computer literate but she is gradually improving her typing skills!