16/02/2025
🐾 ACR is in Desperate Need of Fosterers! Think you might be able to help? Then please read on.
Aylesbury Cat Rescue Fostering Information
The main requirements of a fosterer are patience and understanding towards animals of varying
temperaments, as they will have come to you from a range of different circumstances and backgrounds. You may need to meet the people as they sign the cats over to us which can be for every reason you can think of & many more you’d never think of. You will need to meet potential adopters, as they come to view the cat(s).
We have the people come and meet the cat/s in our homes or cattery so we can see how they get on with each other.
Our fosterers need to be able to take care of the day to day looking after of the cats and kittens in their care.
Some cats come in on their own, some may be pregnant (then they can give birth to 1 to 6 kittens generally in a litter), some cats come in as a pair of siblings or a family of 3 or 4 cats. If they come in together we try to keep them together in the same foster home, though we understand this isn’t always possible (we are very
unlikely to rehome 3 or 4 cats together). So if you decide to foster you need decide how many cats you think you are comfortable to foster at any one time.
If you rent we would need a letter from your landlord saying that they are happy for you to keep cats in your home, and how many at one time.
You will need to think about where you plan to keep the cats. Some people keep cats in a spare room if they have animals of their own, others allow foster cats to have access to a lot of their homes, some can have a small cattery in their gardens if they have room.
It's not necessary to have a garden of your own as foster cats are not allowed outside. This is for 2 reasons: 1) It's safer for the cat. Keeping them indoors means they aren't exposed to the dangers of cars, fights with other cats or people who might do them harm, etc. 2) Your home isn't going to be their forever home, so we don't want them marking territory which would encourage them to try to make their way back from their adopter's home, exposing them to all the dangers listed above.
You need to be able to take the cats to the vets. All cats get a health check and most need to be vaccinated (so need 2 sets of injections 3-4wks apart). We use Hampden vets in Aylesbury who have branches in Elm Farm, Watermead, Haddenham and a hospital in the town centre. The branches are open till 7pm in the week and Elm Farm, Watermead and the hospital are open at reduced hours at the weekend. The hospital is open 24/7 but evenings and weekend often fall into out of hours with a huge fee so are only used in an emergency. Cats often need neutering. If you aren’t able to take them to the hospital on the morning of their ops our vets are able to admit our cats the night before.
We supply food, litter, litter trays, scratch post, bedding, food bowls, flea and worm treatments & veterinary treatment.
On the practical side, it is extremely useful if you have a car, whether this be for picking up any supplies from the rescue, or for transport to the vets (we are currently only taking on fosterers that have a car).
It's also very important make sure that other members of your household are as keen as you on fostering!
If you decide to proceed, we would normally come to visit you at your home. This is to assess where you would keep the foster cats/kittens, and also the area around to ensure the safety of the animals, making any recommendations where needed. This is also your opportunity to ask questions or to raise any concerns you
have about fostering. If you think that you might be interested in fostering, please contact us either by messaging us through our social media pages or email us at [email protected]
