Appeal to help house cats in need

The charity needs volunteers to offer cats temporary homes.

The branches and ACs need people who can offer a temporary home to one or more cats whilst they get back on their paws.

Cat fostering is hands-on cat welfare volunteering looking after felines on a short-term basis, either in Cats Protection-provided cat pens in the garden or in a dedicated spare room in the homes.

Fostering cats while they wait for their forever home can be hugely rewarding and all you need is time, space and a love of cats. You don’t need extensive cat knowledge or a big house to make a difference.

David Paterson-McKearney, operations manager for Scotland, said: “Cat fosterers play a vital role in our charity by caring for cats in their own home until a new owner can be found.

“Offering a temporary home to a cat in need can be an incredibly rewarding experience, and becoming a volunteer for Cats Protection is a great way to meet new friends – both human and feline.”

A Cats Protection foster cat can be kept indoors in a spare room or in a warm garden pen that can be provided and installed. Whether a home is a city high-rise, a busy family home or even near some big roads, you too can help a needy cat get back on their paws.

For anyone keen to get involved in fostering, the charity covers all the costs of caring for a needy cat, including their food, bedding, bowls, litter, toys, medication or vet visits. It will also provide plenty of assistance, training and all required support materials for new fosterers.

All you need to offer is time, a lot of love and plenty of chin scratches.

Cats Protection is the UK’s leading feline welfare charity and the Scottish branches and Adoption Centres are part of the charity’s nationwide network of around 200 volunteer-run branches and 35 centres that together help around 166,000 cats and kittens each year.

As well as finding new homes for unwanted and abandoned cats, the charity also offers cat care advice to the public and can help towards the cost of neutering.

Anyone interested in becoming a volunteer should email [email protected].