Cat Fosterer (Home based - accessible to Baldock, Stevenage, Letchworth & Hitchin area)

Overview of the opportunity

As a cat fosterer, you would be supporting the Hertfordshire East Branch of the RSPCA in providing our cats with the safety of your home whilst tending to their welfare needs such as feeding and grooming. In addition to this, by providing a temporary loving environment, you will play a crucial role in a cat’s wellbeing and socialisation, which will significantly improve their chances of successful rehoming.

Each RSPCA branch is a separately registered charity looking after animals in their local area. A huge amount of the animal welfare work of the RSPCA is carried out through the branches, which is run by volunteers who have the support of the National Society.

Once everything is in place, the Branch will guide you through the fostering process and ensure that you have all the necessary equipment, food, and veterinary care for your fostered cat. The RSPCA is also happy to reimburse any other pre-agreed expenses that you may incur through volunteering for us.

From there, you’ll be supported by our Branch Operations Manager – Animal Welfare who will communicate with you on a regular basis. As well as having hands on animal care duties you'll get a real thrill knowing your actions are helping animals in need.

Whilst our cats are in your foster care, you will:

• Provide them with care, suitable housing, and a safe environment as per our policies and guidelines.
• Feed, water, and groom them in line with our advice.
• Transport them to any veterinary appointments if required.
• Provide them with your time and patience.
• Once the cat/s re ready to rehome, help us spread the word so that they might find their forever home quicker.
• Playing and cuddles are also a must!

What we are looking for in a volunteer Cat Fosterer

• Volunteers aged 18 or over who have had plenty of experience caring for cats.
• Fostering experience is beneficial but not essential as training is provided.
• For their wellbeing, our cats need to be kept in a separate room, so the whole family should be on board.
• Any existing pets or animals need to be spayed/neutered and fully vaccinated (some medical reasons may mean they cannot be so, please let us know if this is the case).

What we can offer you as a volunteer Cat Fosterer

• You will be making a massive difference to the welfare of the cats in your care.
• Join a community which will enable you to meet new people and make new friends.
• Learning new skills through our comprehensive induction and fostering training programme.
• Enhance your CV by adding your volunteering experience and newly acquired skills.

It is worth mentioning that our cats do have different needs as whilst some are ready for rehoming others may require rehabilitation or ongoing medication. Therefore, we also aim to understand your situation and circumstances to ensure that we match you with your perfect foster cat.

We hope you are interested in volunteering for our branch! For more information and to apply, please contact info@rspcahertseast.org.uk

Our voluntary roles are subject to an informal interview and trial period. We will ask you to provide contact details for two referees, and dependant on the position, you may need to sign an agreement and undergo specific training before starting the role.