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
- Applicants must be 18 years of age or older.
- Applicants must live within 30 minutes drives of the centre and within a 10 mile radius
To foster for us you need to 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, therefore, you will need to drive to foster for us. Only if you live less than 5 miles from the centre you can use 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
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.
