Tilly and Tux in foster care
At Pawprints we are always looking for experienced fosterers to provide shelter to the stray and unwanted cats we take in every week. The rescue has 10 full size cat pens, as well as 6 smaller temporary cages for new intakes. However we still get a large volume of calls and messages each week about cats in need. We rescue as many as we can, but there is a limit to what we can do with the space and pennies we have.
In just one, two week period in 2019 we received calls about a litter of 5 kittens left in a house after the owners moved out, a 5 month kitten dumped in a bin, one woman wanting to re-home 8 of her cats as she was too busy to care for them, a box of kittens dumped on the doorstep of a local vets, a dumped mum cat and 2 kittens and we had 20 voicemails all from people who have either found a stray cat or would like to re-home their own cat. We want to help more cats but we only have limited space!
We are not the only ones like this, all of Bradford’s rescues are bursting at the seams with abandoned cats and never ending litters of kittens, as many people refuse to neuter their cats despite Cats Protection and other local rescues running neutering schemes to those in need.
Tiger in his foster home
Currently the rescue only has 2 foster carers and we would love more. Fostering can save the lives of cats and kittens that we would otherwise have no choice but to turn away. Fosterers will need to have foster cats in a spare room (unless a cat free home), away from any other animals they may own, and the cats will not be able to go outside during their stay with you. All expenses for the cats/ kittens will be covered including vet care, food and litter unless you wish to provide any of these yourself.
As a fosterer you can choose when you want to foster and the cat/kittens you feel able to take in based on your circumstances. For example a litter of very young kittens may not be suitable if you are working full time as they need a lunchtime feed, however a cat or cats that are in need of socialising or that have been used to an indoor only home would be suitable for you, and you could make a huge difference in their lives!
You will not be expected to find homes or do home checks for your foster cats, we will do that for you, however you will need to be able to host potential adopters in your home so they can meet the cats/ kittens they are thinking of adopting (which can be arranged at your convenience). We also need you to be able to transport your foster cat/s to our vets in Bradford or Pudsey as required.
We always meet our fosterers beforehand and like to do an informal home visit to make sure your home is suitable to foster and that you have everything you need to care for the cats/ kittens.
If you are considering fostering please fill out the form here and we will be in touch shortly.
