Daily Mail - Daily Mail Weekend Magazine
Please foster us!
These bright-eyed and bushy-tailed cats are all waiting to be fostered – the halfway house that helps them adjust to their forever home
Broken ribs, gun pellet wounds, burns – these are just some of the horrors fosterers are faced with when they take in a rescue cat. Fostering cats requires time, patience and emotional dedication, but offering a temporary home to traumatised cats is one of the most rewarding jobs you can do.
Blue Cross is a nationwide charity that rescues thousands of pets each year, treating them in their four animal hospitals and sheltering t hem at t hei r 11 rehoming centres across the country. But they also rely on a network of devoted volunteer fosterers who care for cats in their own home. ‘Cat fosterers get all the benefits of cat companionship without the long-term commitment or cost,’ explains Blue Cross’s Louise Lee. ‘We’re looking for committed people who can offer short-term care to needy pets in their own homes. It’s great for people who like pets but may not be in a position to give long-term commitment.
All you need is a spare room to home an unhappy cat.
‘Some cats struggle to cope in our centres so we try to find foster care for them until new homes are found. Kittens need to be in a home environment in their early weeks to be “socialised”, so that they understand the sounds, smells and sights within a home environment to help them grow up into confident cats.’
Tragically, thousands of cats each year rely on the care of animal charities like Blue Cross because they’ve been mistreated, abandoned or their owners have had to give them up because of a change in their circumstances. Blue Cross give these cats a second chance by finding foster homes to look after them until they’re adopted, which frees up much-needed space at the Blue Cross rehoming centres. ‘We need spaces in our centres for emergency cases,’ explains Louise. ‘We take in many animals that have been abandoned and we also work closely with council animal wardens who may have strays. If they’re not claimed by their owners after seven days they may be at risk of being put to sleep. So fostering helps cats in a really positive way.’ All pets are neutered, vaccinated, microchipped, vet- checked and behaviour-assessed before they go to a foster or permanent home.
There are many happy outcomes. Diablo amazed the Blue Cross team
with his fighting spirit when he arrived at their Suffolk rehoming centre with his sister and their mother, who’d been living as a stray for at least 18 months. The kittens had to be separated from their mum as she was so terrified of humans that the team were unable to give her offspring the care they needed. Diablo was small, withdrawn and extremely lethargic because a f lea infestation had made him anaemic. A foster home was soon arranged for the kittens so they got the 24/ 7 care they needed, with Diablo having to be syringe- fed every three to four hours to make sure he got enough food and liquid. He soon bui lt up strength and
weight and is now happily living in a permanent new home.
Rachel Brearley has fostered over 1,500 cats for Blue Cross, with the help of her parents, since she opened her doors in 2008. ‘Much of the first
year I spent in tears as it was heartbreaking to see cats and kittens in such a bad way. I’ve had all kinds of cats from all kinds of situations – some had airgun pellets inside them, or broken ribs from being kicked,’ says Rachel, who lives on a smallholding in West Yorkshire. The cats stay for two or three weeks and Rachel spends time nurturing them to boost their confidence. ‘When they first arrive, many are frightened and won’t come out. So we spend time coaxing them, often with treats like chicken and ham. Gaining their trust is a gradual but hugely satisfying thing. I had one cat who was a skeleton because his owner couldn’t afford to feed him any more. But he went to a gorgeous home and is lovely and fat now!’