Cat Fosterer (Newport)

We are looking to recruit cat and kitten fosterers for some of the animals in our care. Some cats, who are waiting to be rehomed, don’t respond well to cattery life and thrive much better in the care of a quiet foster home. Other cats looking for foster homes may be subject to an RSPCA investigation so are in our care whilst the case progresses. With these cats we will not know how long the case will take to resolve and, in rare cases, animals may have to be returned to their owner (in accordance with court ruling).

For whatever reason the cat has come into our care, being in a home environment is far more beneficial to their welfare for many reasons. Such as medical issues or behavioural problems (very nervous) or if they are pregnant or nursing mothers or kittens which need additional care and are simply too young to rehome.

As a cat fosterer, you will play a vital role in looking after the cats in our care until their case is resolved or they find a new home. You'll be fostering cats in your own home and ensuring a safe environment that will cater for their individual (and sometimes complex) needs. This will include allowing them to take the time to become accustomed to their new surroundings and people in those surroundings, feeding them and taking them to a vet (as required, with costs covered by the RSPCA). The care and interaction you will provide will help the cats in your care develop the socialisation skills which can aid a successful rehoming.

This is a great opportunity to make a real difference to the welfare of cats. Having animals in foster homes help us help more animals by freeing up space in our Centres and Branches.

What is required:

• Be able to transport the cat/kittens to vet appointments (if needed)
• Have time to spend with them or be around for them
• A spare room is desirable, but not essential
• Have lots of love, time and patience to give the animal whilst they are with you

Previous experience with cats/kittens is desirable but not essential as we provide full e-learn training to prepare you in your volunteer role. All necessary equipment, and veterinary care will be supplied and funded by the RSPCA. You will have the support of the Adoption Centre team who are on hand should you need it.

The attached booklet(s) will provide you with more information about what it is like to be an RSPCA cat fosterer.

To apply, please complete our application form which will ask you to expand on your experience and home environment. Our application process is very thorough as fostering is a very responsible but rewarding role. It may take up to 30 minutes to complete the application, so make sure you have a cup of tea to hand as you complete it.

If your application is successful, you'll be asked to record and upload a short video of your home environment to accompany your volunteer profile. This will help our teams when searching for the right foster home. A home visit may also be required prior to and/or during your time fostering. As part of our team of fosterers, you can be contacted by any of our National Centres or Branches looking for the right person with the right skills to support a particular cat - if home visits are required, this will also be discussed. You’ll get online access to all the necessary training for your role and we ask you to keep this up to date. We have a suite of wellbeing resources available and can make reasonable role adjustments to support you in your volunteering.

We celebrate and respect the diversity of our RSPCA team and embrace the individual qualities, skills and experiences that everyone brings.