FOSTERING 

HELP NEEDED

We   don’t  have  a permanent  cattery;  therefore  voluntary fosterers care for our rescued cats. This includes feeding, cleaning litter trays, visits to the vet, and most important TLC. There is no Chesterfield office, all calls,  letters,  requests  etc.  are dealt with in our own  homes  in our own  time.  Cats  and  kittens come to us for all sorts or reasons – they may be stray/abandoned, or more usually simply not now wanted  through  no  fault  of  their  own,  very few come into care for a  genuine  reason.  Most  are housed in purpose built luxurious garden ‘chalets’      at the homes of local fosterers. Each cat (unless they come in as a pair/family) has his/her own pen separated  from  his/her neighbour  by  a  sneeze barrier to minimize the risk of infection. The chalets are heated and the cats also have a heated bed to snuggle in. They all have individual outside runs kittens, pregnant queens and nursing mums can be kept indoors in a spare bedroom. Fostering is a vital part of our work; we endeavour to keep a very high standard of hygiene in our foster homes. All cats/kittens are kept to the standard of the CP guidelines and all new fosterers receive a copy of this and all the advice/support they need. Unless we know a cat has been wormed and received flea treatment recently all cats are given flea and worm treatments, vet checked, vaccinated  then micro-chipped, All cats over the age of 6 months are neutered/spayed before we re-home them. We are desperate to find more fosterers, often cats/kittens need to come in immediately as their life is in jeopardy and cannot wait until we have a free pen. Can you imagine a RTA cat/kitten whose life can so easily be saved if only we had space?

The Branch from time to time has the need for temporary fosters to help us with   kittens or those recovering from injuries. We are looking for animal lovers who have experience of hand-rearing and/or cats in need of "cage-rest". These pets need a quiet environment in which to recover and may need regular attention. These positions are therefore unsuitable for anyone who works full-time, has very young children, several animals of their own or is away from home for long periods. We will of course provide appropriate equipment and pay for any veterinary treatment during the fostering period, which will normally last between 1-3 months.

These positions are voluntary but you will have the joy of helping unwanted cats/kittens and the knowledge that with your help they have been given a second or third chance of being in a loving home.  It is a  a truly rewarding job it is and what a difference YOU can make. 

The hard part comes when you have to return the cats/kittens to us so that they can be re-homed to a new loving family. However you have the knowledge that you quite possibly saved the little ones life and also that you may  now be  in a position to help another little one who's life may be in the balance if we have no room.

As the only local cat rescue that takes in all types of cats and the fact that we are always available this puts an enormous strain on our resources. If we are aware of any situation we cannot rest until it is sorted, with us it is not a case of out of sight out of mind or burying our head in the sand.

Fosterers are also wanted to for feral kittens. It is one of the most rewarding jobs to care for and coax timid feral kittens into becoming homeable pets.   Food, litter, vets bills and all the necessary essentials items to ensure a happy and healthy cat are provided by the group. All we ask is a spare room and a lot of TLC, also transport is essential as you never know if an emergency situation could crop up. You need to be able to be able to travel to one of the Carrack Vets Practices in Chesterfield, Clowne or Matlock. for any necessary treatments, vet check and injections. If you decided fostering is for you and you have a little space in the garden for a cat cabin, this can be provided too. 

If you believe that you can meet these requirements and have time on your hands to offer such care and attention, then please contact Donna. We do require that you are involved with the branch for at least 6 months before taking on outdoor pens - this can mean helping with fund raising, home visiting or indoor fostering. The reason for this is that it is very expensive to set up and you need to be sure that it really is for you.

MONTY was found at the side of a main road after being hit by a car, not only were there injuries from that, his right hip  was fused from a previous injury and he had an opaque eye. Now fully recovered and in a loving new home with his friend Molly.
 

3 FIV beauties have now found purrfect homes. Could you have taken these 3 little beauties to be PTS because they tested positive for FIV  knowing full well they could live a full life time in an indoor home and are absolutely no threat to yourself or any other species? If the answer is YES, then you are NOT who we are looking for!

                 CAT PENS