Fostering

We Need You!

At Freshfields during any typical year the need will arise, all too often, for any number of animals, from cats & kittens to dogs, puppies, guinea pigs, rabbits, horses and foals to spend a length of time with a foster family. This could be for any number of reasons. With kittens we simply don’t have the capacity at either of our centres to deal effectively with the enormous volume that pass through our doors. There often just isn’t the space for every dog to live comfortably or a special case might need the kind of short term care that the rescue itself can’t provide.

Whatever the circumstance, the only viable answer is our team of dedicated fosterers.

If you think you might like to join the team or would like to learn more about what’s involved please email the specific unit for the type of animal you are interested in helping. They will happily advise you of the requirements to become a fosterer:

Dogs/Puppies – kennels@freshfieldsrescue.org.uk
Cats/Kittens – cattery@freshfieldsrescue.org.uk
Small Animals – wildlife@freshfieldsrescue.org.uk  (we do not currently require any foster homes for small animals from our Liverpool centre - thank you)
Horses & Ponies or other animals in Wales – wales@freshfieldsrescue.org.uk

Take a look at the fostering case studies below for an insight into the change you can make to the lives of these innocent animals.

A Taster of What it’s all About

Between April and October this charity is completely overloaded with hundreds of kittens. The only way we can cope is to maintain a city-wide fostering network.
You can help us - We welcome families with or without experience, to care for kittens at home until they are old enough to be re-homed through the rescue centre...giving them the best in life.

There are 4 types of fostering you may choose from:

• Very small kittens, often days old, which require hand feeding
• Kittens from 4 weeks old which are already weaned
• Litters with their mother
• Older kittens 
   

All we ask is that:

• You have no more than 4 cats of your own
• You have a small area in which you can isolate the kittens for their stay with you
• That a member of the family is around for a reasonable part of the day
• That your own cats are fully vaccinated to protect them from any viruses carried by the kittens
• That you have your own transport

Your support from Freshfields would include:

• Full advice before and during fostering
• Advice on how to hand feed, wean and litter train kittens
• Contact and emergency telephone numbers
• Everything provided that the kittens will need, including food and litter
• Access to veterinary treatment
• There is no financial cost to you
• The kittens come back into the cattery at approximately 8 weeks old for rehoming
• All potential homes are home checked first by us
• If you are unable to continue fostering, we will collect the kittens immediately.

As well as kitten fostering we need people who are willing to:

• foster adult cats after major surgery, providing tlc.(contact cattery staff)
• provide specialised cat foster/adoptive homes.

We rescue and rehabilitate many cats with special conditions; special diet cats – FIV cats – kidney cats – pancreatic conditional cats – 3-legged cats – blind cats.

Support is available throughout the foster period, vet bills covered, and food provided.
If you would like to know more about fostering any of the other animals we look after at the rescue please get in touch.