Post by Chris - Cats Protection on Mar 12, 2007 15:45:27 GMT
Fostering for Cats Protection
We have compiled this short fact sheet in order for you to see at a glance what fostering for Cats Protection Newcastle involves.
We hope you find it helpful in making the decision to foster.
• To start fostering for CP one thing is essential, and that is a spare room.
• You should have no more than 5 cats of your own.
• You have to be prepared to work to Cat Care Standards, a copy of which will be given to you once you commence fostering for CP.
• Cat Care Standards state that a foster cat or kittens must not mix with your own cats, hence the need for a spare room. This is the main thing to remember as cross infections can be problem.
• Don’t worry too much about the remaining guidelines under Cat Care Standards at this time, suffice to say, they are mainly common sense guidelines covering hygiene and all aspects of the care of your foster cat.
• It is a plus point if you have access to transport, as the need to take in doesn’t always fall into the 9 to 5 timeslot. Its possible that you will receive a call in an emergency asking if you can take in a cat, and if you can are you able to arrange collection of the cat. Also, a cat or kitten could take ill at any time, and being able to get it to a Vet as soon as possible is imperative.
• You will be supplied with litter trays, food bowls, and essentials. We will supply a suitable cage in which kittens may sleep overnight and for a short rest period during the day, but please be patient with us over this, as we are currently reviewing our caging requirements. Kittens cannot be kept in cages all day long, as this isn’t humane, they need to run around and play, so if your spare room contains valuables you need to consider if there is anywhere you can store or move these to. It’s also important to consider the dangers lurking in the room if you intend to take kittens into care, venetian blinds for example are so tempting to kittens, but can result in death by hanging.
• Cats brought into care who are deemed ‘At Risk’ such as strays who have lived in a known Feline Aids affected area, will need to be tested for FIV/FelV (Feline Aids & Leukemia). However, we do need to ensure the cat does not have an owner prior to testing, unless you feel there is a strong chance the animal is ill, then the Vet will make a decision on whether to wait a reasonable time for a potential owner to claim the cat.
• Currently our Headquarters advise keeping a cat for 14 days prior to ANY invasive treatment. The 14 days is counted from adverts being placed in order to find an owner, this of course could commence prior to the cat coming into our care. The reason for this is a cat is classed as property, so to carry out any procedure that results in the animal being disfigured could potentially put Cats Protection in danger of being sued for Criminal Damage.
• This is not something you as a fosterer would concern yourself about as the Welfare Officer or Branch Co-ordinator would advise on the timing of tests, neutering etc.
• If a cat does test positive to Feline Aids, it will only be put to sleep on the Vets advice, meaning that often a cat will carry the disease without actually being ill, and if that is the case, we will do all we can to find the cat an indoor home. FIV+ cats can live a normal lengthy lifespan.
• A cat that tests positive to FeLV and often FIV/FeLV together, will need to be put to sleep as deterioration and death is inevitable
• All foster cats initially require a general check for signs of worms, fleas, earmites etc., this you will be trained to do. General observation for a period of 48 hours also gives us a clue of any potential problems.
• This is then followed by a Health check from the Vet, who will carry out a more in depth examination, checking the heart function etc.
• At the age of 9 weeks, if all is well, kittens will have their first vaccination. As kittens are normally rehomed at 10 weeks, we supply the owner with a voucher entitling them to a free follow up vaccination at 12 weeks, and a voucher for a free microchip to be inserted at the time of neutering.
• Adult cats are taken to a Vet for neutering, should they not be neutered already, and a microchip is inserted at this time.
• Once the cat has recovered sufficiently from neutering ( 48 hours) the cat is taken to the Vets again for their first vaccination. Like the kittens, if they are rehomed shortly after this, the new owner will receive a voucher for the second vaccine.
• You will either be supplied with food and litter for your foster cat, or depending on the diet of the cat, you can buy food and litter and on keeping receipts be reimbursed anything purchased. Currently we are using Royal Canin dried foods, and we would prefer our foster cats to get the best start in life, so we would prefer fosterers to use this rather than tinned food.
• Once a month you will put in a claim form for expenses, i.e. mileage and cleaning materials. These claim forms need to be put in whether you want to claim the expenses or not so that our Treasurer can work out realistic figures for the running of the branch on a monthly basis.
• Your foster cat needs to be kept in care for a minimum of 14 days, this is to ensure that it isn’t carrying a virus of any kind, most virus’s display symptoms within that time.
• Rehoming is the next stage, now we realise not everyone wants to rehome, so if this isn’t for you at this stage, don’t worry, we can move the cat onto another fosterer for rehoming, but you will have to wait till there is a space to do so.
• Rehoming is currently done via telephone enquiries or the website, we do like to place photos of all cats on the website, so if you can take a photo and send it to Chris it would be a great help.
• Should you wish to supervise the rehoming of the cat yourself, then you can expect to be contacted by Chris, who will forward details to you via a form or a phone call of people interested in your foster cat or kittens, after that you can either contact those you feel sound right for your cat yourself, or Chris will give them your phone number.
• Home Visits are proving essential to successful rehoming, so no cat or kitten will leave our care until a Home Visit has been done. Some fosterers like to know where their cat/kitten is going, so they may accompany a Home Visitor should they wish to.
• So assuming a Home Visit has been done, and you like the people wanting to adopt your cat, and you are happy that the right home has been found, adoption can now take place.
• Now we come to the admin side of things, and unfortunately that has to be done also. On acceptance of a cat, an Acceptance form has to be completed, and on rehoming, an Adoption form. Currently we are using PetPlan forms, which once received by PetPlan a 6 week free Insurance plan is put into place.
• We will try and give you all copies of the relevant forms for you to use as examples once you start fostering.
• You will also if you have kittens, give each owner a Proof of Neutering Form, this they need to have completed by their Vet once neutering has taken place, and return to you, as Proof of Neutering, which is a CP requirement for kittens.
• If you decide fostering is for you, then you will need to sign a Fosterers Agreement each year.
• Once you have fostered for a little while and know that fostering is for you, Cats Protection are prepared to supply you with an outdoor pen. But initially we want you to be sure this is for you, so the spare room is the best way to start.
• Remember you are not on your own; help is only a phone call or an email away.
We have compiled this short fact sheet in order for you to see at a glance what fostering for Cats Protection Newcastle involves.
We hope you find it helpful in making the decision to foster.
• To start fostering for CP one thing is essential, and that is a spare room.
• You should have no more than 5 cats of your own.
• You have to be prepared to work to Cat Care Standards, a copy of which will be given to you once you commence fostering for CP.
• Cat Care Standards state that a foster cat or kittens must not mix with your own cats, hence the need for a spare room. This is the main thing to remember as cross infections can be problem.
• Don’t worry too much about the remaining guidelines under Cat Care Standards at this time, suffice to say, they are mainly common sense guidelines covering hygiene and all aspects of the care of your foster cat.
• It is a plus point if you have access to transport, as the need to take in doesn’t always fall into the 9 to 5 timeslot. Its possible that you will receive a call in an emergency asking if you can take in a cat, and if you can are you able to arrange collection of the cat. Also, a cat or kitten could take ill at any time, and being able to get it to a Vet as soon as possible is imperative.
• You will be supplied with litter trays, food bowls, and essentials. We will supply a suitable cage in which kittens may sleep overnight and for a short rest period during the day, but please be patient with us over this, as we are currently reviewing our caging requirements. Kittens cannot be kept in cages all day long, as this isn’t humane, they need to run around and play, so if your spare room contains valuables you need to consider if there is anywhere you can store or move these to. It’s also important to consider the dangers lurking in the room if you intend to take kittens into care, venetian blinds for example are so tempting to kittens, but can result in death by hanging.
• Cats brought into care who are deemed ‘At Risk’ such as strays who have lived in a known Feline Aids affected area, will need to be tested for FIV/FelV (Feline Aids & Leukemia). However, we do need to ensure the cat does not have an owner prior to testing, unless you feel there is a strong chance the animal is ill, then the Vet will make a decision on whether to wait a reasonable time for a potential owner to claim the cat.
• Currently our Headquarters advise keeping a cat for 14 days prior to ANY invasive treatment. The 14 days is counted from adverts being placed in order to find an owner, this of course could commence prior to the cat coming into our care. The reason for this is a cat is classed as property, so to carry out any procedure that results in the animal being disfigured could potentially put Cats Protection in danger of being sued for Criminal Damage.
• This is not something you as a fosterer would concern yourself about as the Welfare Officer or Branch Co-ordinator would advise on the timing of tests, neutering etc.
• If a cat does test positive to Feline Aids, it will only be put to sleep on the Vets advice, meaning that often a cat will carry the disease without actually being ill, and if that is the case, we will do all we can to find the cat an indoor home. FIV+ cats can live a normal lengthy lifespan.
• A cat that tests positive to FeLV and often FIV/FeLV together, will need to be put to sleep as deterioration and death is inevitable
• All foster cats initially require a general check for signs of worms, fleas, earmites etc., this you will be trained to do. General observation for a period of 48 hours also gives us a clue of any potential problems.
• This is then followed by a Health check from the Vet, who will carry out a more in depth examination, checking the heart function etc.
• At the age of 9 weeks, if all is well, kittens will have their first vaccination. As kittens are normally rehomed at 10 weeks, we supply the owner with a voucher entitling them to a free follow up vaccination at 12 weeks, and a voucher for a free microchip to be inserted at the time of neutering.
• Adult cats are taken to a Vet for neutering, should they not be neutered already, and a microchip is inserted at this time.
• Once the cat has recovered sufficiently from neutering ( 48 hours) the cat is taken to the Vets again for their first vaccination. Like the kittens, if they are rehomed shortly after this, the new owner will receive a voucher for the second vaccine.
• You will either be supplied with food and litter for your foster cat, or depending on the diet of the cat, you can buy food and litter and on keeping receipts be reimbursed anything purchased. Currently we are using Royal Canin dried foods, and we would prefer our foster cats to get the best start in life, so we would prefer fosterers to use this rather than tinned food.
• Once a month you will put in a claim form for expenses, i.e. mileage and cleaning materials. These claim forms need to be put in whether you want to claim the expenses or not so that our Treasurer can work out realistic figures for the running of the branch on a monthly basis.
• Your foster cat needs to be kept in care for a minimum of 14 days, this is to ensure that it isn’t carrying a virus of any kind, most virus’s display symptoms within that time.
• Rehoming is the next stage, now we realise not everyone wants to rehome, so if this isn’t for you at this stage, don’t worry, we can move the cat onto another fosterer for rehoming, but you will have to wait till there is a space to do so.
• Rehoming is currently done via telephone enquiries or the website, we do like to place photos of all cats on the website, so if you can take a photo and send it to Chris it would be a great help.
• Should you wish to supervise the rehoming of the cat yourself, then you can expect to be contacted by Chris, who will forward details to you via a form or a phone call of people interested in your foster cat or kittens, after that you can either contact those you feel sound right for your cat yourself, or Chris will give them your phone number.
• Home Visits are proving essential to successful rehoming, so no cat or kitten will leave our care until a Home Visit has been done. Some fosterers like to know where their cat/kitten is going, so they may accompany a Home Visitor should they wish to.
• So assuming a Home Visit has been done, and you like the people wanting to adopt your cat, and you are happy that the right home has been found, adoption can now take place.
• Now we come to the admin side of things, and unfortunately that has to be done also. On acceptance of a cat, an Acceptance form has to be completed, and on rehoming, an Adoption form. Currently we are using PetPlan forms, which once received by PetPlan a 6 week free Insurance plan is put into place.
• We will try and give you all copies of the relevant forms for you to use as examples once you start fostering.
• You will also if you have kittens, give each owner a Proof of Neutering Form, this they need to have completed by their Vet once neutering has taken place, and return to you, as Proof of Neutering, which is a CP requirement for kittens.
• If you decide fostering is for you, then you will need to sign a Fosterers Agreement each year.
• Once you have fostered for a little while and know that fostering is for you, Cats Protection are prepared to supply you with an outdoor pen. But initially we want you to be sure this is for you, so the spare room is the best way to start.
• Remember you are not on your own; help is only a phone call or an email away.