A CHARITY which rehomes stray and abandoned cats is appealing for people to become fosterers, as it aims to help record numbers of forlorn felines.
Cats Protection Barnsley is looking for volunteers to become fosterers and give cats temporary homes until they find new families.
Jackie Antoniak, 59, has been fostering cats since May last year and says it is tough, but rewarding, work - especially for cat lovers like her.
“Once you start doing it you realise how many stray and abandoned cats there are,” said Jackie, of Linburn Close, Royston. “I always want to do more.
“They get an awful lot of cats, but unless there’s somewhere to place them she can’t take them in.
“You have to be available to put enough time aside to socialise the cat until they’re ready, which is about two or three hours a day, and you need a spare room which is difficult in itself.”
Jackie is currently caring for four-week-old kitten Milly, who was found abandoned with her umbilical cord still attached as a newborn kitten and hand-reared back to health.
Jackie usually takes on two or three cats at a time, but fosterers can take up to six at a time from the same litter.
And Jackie has rehomed 18 cats since she started volunteering.
“It’s very rewarding,” she said. “When they go to a new home, you know where they’ve been and you see that confidence build. It’s lovely to see them in their forever home, even though I cry every time.”
Wendy Bell of Cats Protection Barnsley said: “We’re desperate for fosterers.
“We have three fosterers who are looking to help around 200 cats a year, and that’s increasing every year.
“There’s always a waiting list and we can only turn cats away, which is heartbreaking.”
Cats Protection has been supporting cats and cat owners in Barnsley for 37 years.
It successfully rehomes around 200 cats a year, and its neutering campaign has prevented unwanted litters from more than 1,500 cats.
For more information on becoming a fosterer, contact Cats Protection on 781998.
