There are many ways you can help us out by donating your time, including:
- Helping at high teas (including baking, or supervising the kittens)
- Writing grant applications
- Volunteering at events (stalls, markets, workplace visits)
- General admin work
- Joining our craft team (read more below)
- Fostering cats and kittens (read more below)
- Assisting with fundraising
- Cleaning and maintenance
- Many other tasks – if you’ve got a skill you’d like to support us with, please get in touch!
Fostering Kittens
Our kittens and mama cats are cared for in foster homes, so they can be well socialised around people, other cats, dogs and children. Our fosterers take care of weaned litters, pregnant cats (and their litters), and younger kittens who have been separated from their mothers and need extra support. Once kittens are big enough, they are desexed before being adopted out.
The Kitten Inn supplies all necessary food, litter, medication (including flea and worm treatment), and covers all vet costs. As a new fosterer, you’ll be given wraparound support – you’ll attend an induction session to learn the ropes, be supplied with an extensive foster manual covering everything you need to know, be matched with an experienced mentor who can provide 1:1 support, and join our private Facebook group to connect with our other kitten fosterers who are all there to help and support you.
Fosterers are matched with kittens they are best equipped to deal with – while some kittens require special attention (such as bottle feeding), you won’t be given these unless you have the experience and time to look after them. You will need to look after kittens if they become unwell (this may require giving medication or attending vet appointments), which you’ll be guided through.
Some key things to know about fostering:
- You must be over 18 years old
- You need permission from your landlord if you’re renting and everyone else in the house
- At least 2 hours each day is required to spend time with the kittens – this means working full time isn’t a problem if you can come home in the evenings and spend quality time with them
- You need to be able to transport the kittens by yourself (i.e. have your own car and at minimum a restricted license)
- Flexibility is key – if something goes wrong and your kittens need to be taken to a vet, you must be able to help them straight away
- Your house will almost certainly get messy and you may lose some sleep – but the reward of love and affection from a bundle of kittens outweighs that!
Please contact us if you’re interested in fostering.
Join our craft team
Our craft team get together to make a variety of items (like catnip kickers, catnip balls, hammocks, bags and more) which are sold for fundraising to support Kitten Inn (check out the items in our shop!).
This group is a great way to meet new people, socialise, have fun, and connect with other volunteers while supporting our fundraising efforts. Currently, the team sews, knits and crochets, but are always looking for new crafts to try.
So if you’d like to join a craft group with a purpose, then get in touch! We welcome all levels (including brand new!) and can always use extra sets of hands.
Click here to learn about the other ways you can support us.