Why I Started Fostering
I recently took a career break and wanted to spend my time doing something that was important to me. Animals have always held a special place in my heart and PCR looked like a great charity to get involved with.
A Day in the Life
No two days are the same, that’s for certain. There’s the daily get up, clean litter trays, feeding time and usually a bit of play time (and the same again at night). Some days will require trips to the vets, usually for vaccinations or a check-up to ensure they are healthy before rehoming. The rest depends on the individual cat. Unsurprisingly, some are quite shy when they first arrive so it’s important to give them lots of time to settle in, whilst also trying to build a connection with them. I often sit quietly on the floor reading or scrolling on my phone, just so they can get used to me. I’ve had some cats that integrate really quickly and they just become part of the family for the time they are here. Others just need a little bit of patience!
Fostering with My Pets
I have five cats (two from PCR) and a three-year-old black Labrador. The cats all get along fairly well. There’s always a settling-in period when they have to figure out who is going to have what space, but they always figure it out. Because Roscoe grew up with cats, he’s very calm around them, which is great. It’s particularly useful having him around when we have fosters so we can see how they interact and whether or not the cat can go to a home with a dog.
Most Rewarding Moment
One of the fosters was previously a stray so he was very nervous and for days wouldn’t come out from under the bed. After three or four days, it was like a switch flipped in his head. He realised he was safe and suddenly became the most affectionate cat, constantly wanting fuss and sleeping on my bed at night. It was so great to see him come around and know that you’ve helped a scared cat become happy and comfortable.
The Challenges
Mainly, it’s knowing how many cats there are in bad situations and knowing that we can’t help them all. As a fosterer, I don’t see the situations that the cats are being rescued from, but others in the charity do a fantastic job in sometimes heartbreaking conditions. We all wish there was more we could do, but there are only so many hours in a day.
Saying Goodbye
It’s always a little bittersweet because they become part of the family for the time that they are with you. But the homing team do such a wonderful job in matching up the cats with suitable applicants that it’s always been a fantastic match. Knowing that they are going to a good home where they will thrive vastly outweighs any negatives — especially as them being rehomed means that we are then free to help another cat in need.
Support from PCR
Peterborough Cat Rescue provides: cat beds and toys, litter trays, litter, food, and any worming treatment or medication the cats might need.
I provide my time and a little bit of petrol for vet trips, but everything else is taken care of by the charity.
Advice for New Fosterers
If you have the time and the space then absolutely do it. It’s so rewarding and there are so many cats that need our help. The charity rehomed nearly 1,000 cats last year and there are always more that need help. There’s so much support from other fosterers and you also get to see other success stories, which is incredibly heart-warming.
