Become a kitten foster
Are you our next neonatal carer?
The Kitten Connection is the only organisation in our region to have incubators for caring for newborn kittens. If you’ve always wanted to try caring for these tiny, fragile kittens, our neonatal experts will teach and help you.
Types of fostering
Mother & kittens
Nice and easy – mum looks after her kittens and you look after the mother. We’ll help you with everything you need. To foster a mother and her kittens, you’ll need to live within ~30 minutes of our headquarters so we can monitor their health and you’re close to our vet support team.
Growing for adoption
When kittens older than 3 weeks come to us, they usually are eating for themselves and ready to start learning about the world. We ask that you commit to keeping kittens for at least 2 weeks quarantine and until they are 7–8 weeks old. Older kittens will need 2 weeks quarantine and loving before they can join our kitten room.
Adult cats
Our mother cats after often very young teen mums. We’re always looking for longer stay fosters to give them a lot of love and attention away from the kitten room and prepare them for adoption.
A foster carer's checklist
What we provide
We give all fosters a starter pack of essential items. We’ll help with specialist food, if any of your foster kitties need special diets. We will also provide essential medications. If you need other equipment, let us know.
What you'll need
- Litter box.
- Litter (plain clay or wood pellets – no clumping litter for kittens).
- Bowls for food and water.
- Bed (a cardboard box is fine).
- Blankets/towels.
- Wet kitten food.
- Dry kitten food.
Frequently Asked Foster Questions
Kittens do not require much room, so it does not matter if you have a small apartment or a large home. A small carrier is enough space for a newborn kitten, and as they get older they can be upgraded to a playpen or a small room. What’s most important is that their space is safe, soft, warm, separated from other pets, and that it can be cleaned easily.
We aim to have most kittens adopted straight from their foster homes. Most of our foster kittens stay with their foster families for 2-6 weeks. We also have cats and older kittens needing longer foster periods. Speak to our foster manager about what works for you.
Vet costs are covered by us. We also supply food and other essential to get you started. Please chat with our foster manager if you have more questions.
It is OK to take in a foster kitten/cat if your pets are friendly and up to date with their vaccinations. For the health and happiness of everyone, we recommend that you have a separate space for your foster kittens/cats when they want to be alone.
Your foster manager and The Kitten Connection team are always available to help you. Through our volunteer meetings, you’ll also receive training about kitten care and meet other fosters.