How to Get Involved

If you have space in your home you are willing to share, then you can foster. Our rescue consists of a network of foster homes and adoption centres. We do not have a permanent shelter site so when an animal is rescued, a secure foster space is required.

As a foster family, you decide on your availability and what you are comfortable with. Ninth Lift Cat Rescue is responsible for veterinary bills and medical costs. The foster family is responsible for providing a safe, warm and loving home as well as food, a clean litter box and bedding as needed. Occasionally, food and litter is donated, which is distributed to foster homes, but this cannot be guaranteed. It is also helpful if you can transport your foster cat to vet appointments, but this is not obligatory. By submitting receipts for your foster home costs, you will be provided with a receipt for tax purposes.

Cats and kittens could remain in foster care from a few days, a few weeks, or several months. All rescued cats require a minimum of 72 hours in quarantine prior to going into an adoption centre. There are several reasons why a cat may require foster care for a longer period of time:

• To recover from surgery or dental procedures
• After spay or neuter from three to fourteen days
• Pregnant cats may arrive a few weeks prior to delivery and are kept until the kittens are fully weaned and about twelve weeks old
• Require daily medications or specialized care
• Require socialization if rescued from outside
• Learning to trust again if rescued from a difficult situation
• Orphaned kittens needing bottle feeding every few hours

The safety of your family pets is important to us, so it is strongly recommended that foster cats are kept separate from family pets, which usually means in a separate room. Although every effort is made to work with our vets to identify and treat illnesses prior to cats going into foster homes, it cannot be guaranteed that all cats will be free of communicable illnesses that could possibly be spread to family pets. We cannot be responsible for veterinary costs for any family pets.

If you think you have space in your home to foster, please complete the foster application and you will be contacted by a Ninth Life Cat Rescue representative. We provide a supportive group of volunteers and fellow foster families willing to help you along the way.

Following foster care, cats and kittens are moved to our adoption centres where they receive exposure and the opportunity to be adopted by their forever family. Our adoptions centres provide space donated by local PetSmart and Pet Valu stores. To volunteer at the adoption centres, it is recommended that you are comfortable handling cats as you will be working around them and picking them up, as well as socializing and comforting shy or nervous cats and kittens.

Volunteers are required on a daily basis to clean cages, empty litter boxes, provide fresh food and water and, of course, the most enjoyable part – socialize with the cats. It is important that the cats are allowed out of their cat condos to play, run around and show off their personality. Volunteers are an advocate for the cats and are required to report if a cat is not feeling well or not acting normally. The adoption centre environment can be stressful for some cats and it is important that volunteers advise a Ninth Life Cat Rescue representative if the cat is not thriving. Volunteers also assist with screening potential adopters and completing adoption agreements.

In order to volunteer at an adoption centre, we require a weekly commitment of at least three months. Volunteers can expect to spend at least two hours per visit when the cat condos are all full, however, this could vary depending on the day of the week and the location. For example, weekends are generally very busy with potential adopters and the shift could be longer. A training session is required with a lead volunteer at the site where you will be volunteering. Students and children are welcome to volunteer, however, a parent or guardian over 18 years of age must accompany them at all times. We have a number of parent and child teams in our adoption centres – what a great way to spend time together! It is also recommended that you live reasonably close to the adoption centre you volunteer at to ensure it is convenient enough to uphold your commitment to the cats and the rescue.

Contact us explaining which location and days you are available, as well as a bit about your experience with cats and you will be contacted by a Ninth Life Cat Rescue representative.

Do you like to organize and plan events? Are you creative? Do you have a passion for animal rescue, but are unable to foster, adopt or volunteer at an adoption centre? Then why not join our fundraising team? Vet bills are always mounting and adoption fees never fully cover the cost of care for our cats. Ninth Life Cat Rescue has a number of fundraising events throughout the year and help is always needed. Getting involved with fundraising events can be an extremely rewarding way to lend a hand to the organization.

The fundraising team is always in search of new and engaging ways to raise funds. If you would like to take part in the planning, development and organization of fundraising events, we have a job for you. You could be part of a group that decides which events to hold, how to execute them and participate in the preparation and groundwork. Even if you are unable to participate in the planning, development and organization of events, we always need volunteers on event days to sell items, help with tasks and speak passionately about the organization to potential supporters. Volunteering at events is on an as-needed basis and can vary from a few hours to an eight hour day. Help is also required to advertise the event and spread the word to family and friends to ensure a great turnout. This is a terrific opportunity for high school students to earn volunteer hours.

If you are interested in volunteering with fundraising, please email us with some information about yourself and how you are interested in helping and you will be contacted by a Ninth Life Cat Rescue representative.

In addition to the above, there are a number of other volunteer opportunities available to ensure the organization continues to run smoothly. If you are not interested in any of the opportunities listed, but think you have a talent or skill you would like to share, please contact us and I’m sure we can find a way to put your donated time to good use. Here are just a few examples of opportunities that occur behind the scenes:

Drivers are required to transport animals from foster homes to vet appointments or adoption centres. Volunteers are also occasionally needed to pick up animals from surrenders or rescuers in the community.

Volunteers with skills in finance or auditing can assist in keeping our records and bookkeeping up to date.

Writers and editors are required to get the word out about Ninth Life Cat Rescue. This could be in the form of producing teaching or learning documents, blog posts, articles about our special animals, or assisting with social media posting.

Professional photography of our cats and kittens is needed to make them shine on our Adopt page. Capturing their personality will provide a big step in helping the cats find their forever home. Professional high-resolution photos are also required for use on our website and on promotional material.