Tuesday, August 21, 2012

The Importance of Foster Volunteers

One of the biggest frustrations in animal rescue is having to turn needy animals away.  Each day we receive AT LEAST one call or email from someone looking to surrender a cat or a litter of kittens.  There are lots of stories: "stray cat has been living on my porch; found a litter of kittens in the backyard; my mother was sent to a nursing home and we need to surrender her two 11 year old cats; we are moving and the landlord doesn't allow cats"; etc etc.  While we would love to say yes to them all (and trust me, we would if we could!) it's just not possible!  Let me explain why.

Haven House Cats is a rescue group. What does that mean exactly?  It means this: we are a small group of cat-loving volunteers who one day decided to devote our time and energy to saving cats.  We do not have a shelter; all the cats we take into the rescue have to be placed into a foster home where they will be cared for by a volunteer until adopted.  We are always low on foster homes; foster volunteers are difficult to find. Many foster volunteers sign on for short periods of time, some adopt and can no longer foster, some quit due to life changes such as moving, having a baby, illness, injury, etc.  If we do not have a foster home willing to take in a cat or litter of kittens, we cannot accept those cats into the rescue. We need someone to care for them and if no one accepts that role, our hands are tied.  Many times my husband and I find ourselves overburdened with foster cats in our own home due to foster volunteers quitting, or on the rare occasion that an adopted cat is returned.  When a foster quits and another cannot be found, those foster cats have to return to our house whether we have room or not.  It isn't in the cats' best interest to be jam-packed into a foster home.  One volunteer can only give so much attention to each cat on a daily basis when there are too many of them to keep up with.  What is best for the cats ins't always possible though if volunteers aren't willing to step up and help foster.  When we are short on volunteers and most of the cats are at our central foster home (aka mine & my husband's house), their health, safety and basic needs are the biggest priority.  Feedings, cleaning, and preventative care take up the majority of my free time.   When we have as many animals living under one roof as we do (anywhere from 15-30, depending on our foster volunteers), it is EXTREMELY important to keep everything clean.  Sanitary living conditions are a must in order to prevent the spread of illness.  Each day I scrub litterboxes, scoop them 2-3 times, change food dishes, sweep & mop the entire house, and sanitize all surfaces (cats get on top of everything!).  Sometimes there are cages to clean, flea treatments to apply, medications to administer and nails to cut.  It's not an easy job and the more cats we have here due to a lack of foster volunteers, the bigger the mess!  And keep in mind that this work is on top of working my paying jobs, keeping up with rescue paperwork/websites, and my personal life.

So why are foster volunteers important?  The biggest reason is that fosters save lives!  How?  Without fosters we cannot help cats.  If we are contacted by someone who found a stray or needs to surrender their cat for whatever reason, we need a safe place for the cat to go.  The cat needs shelter, food, water, vetting, and love.  If we have the money for vetting but no safe haven for the cat, how can we help?  Foster volunteers are heros.  They care for and provide love to a cat who may have never experienced it before.  They help socialize shy cats so they have a better chance at being adopted.  They nurse sick cats back to health and better their lives.  When my home is overwhelmed with cats, I am physically unable to provide the attention each cat yearns for.  Trust me I feel horrible about it!  None of the cats is neglected by any means, and I am diligent when it comes to cleanliness and health care.  But when it comes to affection and cuddle time, they want to love on me for hours  but there's just not enough time in a day!  They get pets and hugs, but I know they want more.  This is another reason foster volunteers are so important.  If each cat has a foster mom or dad to love on, they are much happier. I want these cats to be as happy as possible; they truly mean the world to me. 

Ideally I would love to see each of our adoptable cats/kittens enter foster care so they can get more individual attention.  We have 14 adoptables right now, 10 of which need a foster mom or dad.  Do you think we can find 10 cat-loving individuals who are willing to care for a cat until adopted?  Are you someone like that?  If you can help, please email us today at havenhousecats@aol.com.  We NEED you!  These kitties NEED you! 

Christina McNeil
Executive Director