Volunteer at Cats Protection Framlingham & Saxmundham Branch
Without volunteers, Cats Protection Framlingham & Saxmundham Branch simply wouldn't exist. Our amazing, friendly volunteers are a diverse group with a shared love of cats who fit volunteering around their home lives and personal commitments.
We're often looking to welcome new volunteers to join our brilliant team. As well as meeting great people and making an incredible difference to the cats in and around Framlingham & Saxmundham, you'll enjoy practical benefits such as discounted pet insurance.
Transport Volunteer:
If you enjoy driving and would love to use those skills to help our cats, this could be the role for you. Our transport volunteers provide vital assistance to our teams and volunteer groups in the local area by transporting equipment, litter, food– and even cats! They have the essential role of connecting our network of volunteers, sites, vets and supporters.
Without the passionate and committed teams of volunteers across Cats Protection, we wouldn’t be able to help the thousands of cats and kittens each year that rely on us for help.
What can you expect to be doing?
- Arranging and transporting equipment, litter and cat food
- Transporting cats to and from vets, foster homes and centres
- Transporting equipment to and from events
Find out more about this role and how to apply here: Transport Volunteer
Trap Neuter & Return (TNR) Volunteer:
Unfortunately, thousands of cats each year are abandoned or have strayed and rely on charities like Cats Protection for help. Becoming a TNR volunteer is one way you can make a real difference to cats in your local area. Our TNR volunteers help reduce the number of feral cats by raising awareness of our TNR programmes, setting humane traps to safely capture cats, taking them to local vets to be neutered, and hopefully returning them to their territory. Local TNR programmes are crucial, as feral and abandoned cats present a huge challenge for communities across the UK.
What can you expect to be doing?
- Trapping cats using humane methods
- Taking cats to local vets to be neutered
- Returning cats to their territory or finding a suitable alternative
The role might also include:
- Regular feeding of feral colonies
- Promoting neutering by building relationships with farmers, land owners and local businesses
- Liaising with vets to promote and arrange neutering
Find out more about this role and how to apply here: TNR Volunteer
Fostering Opportunities:
We often have a waitlist of felines to come into care if all our foster homes are full. If you think you would like to foster cats and kittens, either in a dedicated space in your home, or in outdoor cabins, please call and we will be happy to give you more details of this very rewarding volunteering opportunity.
Our branch is in need of indoor fosterers. If you think you would like to help, please call us on 01728 73499.
What will I do as a fosterer?
You’ll be temporarily taking care of a cat in need while we find them their forever home. This involves:
- providing a safe and loving home for your foster cat (or cats) for between a few weeks to several months
- taking care of their day-to-day needs (feeding them, changing their litter tray, cleaning their living space, making sure they have fresh water, socialising them, and grooming them)
- giving them any medication they need or additional care
- taking them to vet appointments and making sure they’re healthy and happy
- providing us with lots of pictures and information about your foster cat so we can match them with the perfect forever home
- accommodating visits from potential adopters (the times will be pre-booked with you and only with potential adopters who have passed our checks)
There’s no need to worry about cost when you foster with us – we cover all your foster cat’s expenses.
What do I need to be an indoor fosterer?
We want all our cats to have the best care, so we’re very thorough when choosing owners and fosterers alike! To volunteer as a fosterer for Cats Protection, you will need to:
- be able to give enough time – our fosterers usually spend one and a half hours per day on average (around 10 to 13 hours per week) in this role, but this can vary depending on the number of cats or kittens in care
- either own your home or have written permission from the landlord to foster cats
- be 18 years or older
- ideally have experience caring for pets (but don’t worry if you don’t – we do provide full training and ongoing support to all our fosterers)
- have a good-sized room in your house just for your foster cat
- ideally, have access to a car to take your cat to any appointments (we may be able to do this for you)
If you have other pets, you’ll need to keep them away from your foster cat and have them all vaccinated. If you have no other pets you could utilise your whole house for fostering.
Fundraising
If you enjoy meeting people and have a few hours to spare, perhaps you could help us at some of our fundraising events. We are always looking for people to help out on our stalls around the area. If you are able to transport goods, too, all the better, but this is not essential. If you would like to help us to help more cats and kittens, contact us to find out how you can help. Email: fundraising@framandsax.cats.org.uk or call 01728 723499. We look forward to hearing from you.