Our Animal Welfare Officers are responding daily to cases of stray cats and kittens in London, whilst our Cattery team are busy taking care of them when they come through our doors. We know from previous years that it’s only going to get busier, and we need your help to give these kittens the best start at life. Could you be a Mayhew foster carer?
Our hard-working Cattery team can provide a safe and caring place for mums and their litters, but they rely on fantastic foster carers to provide a special home environment away from our busy cattery. Being able to place kittens with a foster carer to allow them to grow up in a calming home is vital for their emotional and behavioural development. It ensures that they’re able to thrive as a pet cat in a home environment.
“Having a foster home for kittens means they're exposed to normal household sounds and activities during the critical socialisation period which they may not experience in a shelter environment - despite our best efforts.”
We’re urgently looking for more foster carers who would be willing to take on a pregnant cat and/or kittens. We’d also like to find new foster carers who have experience with temperamental (or sassy!) adult cats. Keep reading to hear from one of our current foster carers, and find out more about how you can sign up.
Nicola has been a foster carer for Mayhew since August 2021 – and she’s amazing! Her most recent foster cats were two nursing mums with their nine kittens. Naturally, Nicola was a little nervous about taking so many cats in one go, as the most she had previously taken was five. But, she needn’t have worried, as she gave them the most wonderful home and they settled in very quickly.
Nicola told us that
“Looking after nine cats, as well as working, can be a little tiring!! I’ll be very sad to see them go as they’ve brought me so much joy but my job as foster carer is almost over. My wish is for each of them to find loving and forever homes so they can bring joy to others. ”
Nicola’s story is rare – we don’t normally have two nursing mums together. But, when we found ourselves in this unusual situation, we were so incredibly thankful to have Nicola on hand to support. All of them have since found their loving forever homes.
“The support that I get from Mayhew is amazing. The staff at the charity are always on the end of the phone if ever I need some help.”
If you have some previous experience of caring for a cat, and are confident with handling cats, you’d more than likely make a great foster carer! We also need patient people, who are willing to follow our team’s advice to work with the cat/kitten’s specific needs. You do need to live within a commutable distance to Mayhew, so that you can bring the cat/kittens for their visits to our vets. Please read our full list of requirements.
That’s ok! Our animal care experts will be on hand to support you throughout the entire process. They’ll keep in regular contact with you to ensure you and your four legged-friend/s are doing just fine! If you have any worries or questions, they’re at the other end of the phone to give you all the expert advice you need. We also have a wonderful community of other volunteers like Nicola – who are happy to share their words of wisdom with you.
First, read our full list of requirements. If you’re confident that you meet all of the requirements to become a foster carer, email [email protected] to apply. If you have any questions or would like further information, you can also contact [email protected] – our friendly team will be happy to help out!
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