'I love cats and their lifestyle - that's why I've helped dozens'

Angela has been a volunteer for Wolverhampton Cats Protection since 2017 and is one of nine fosterers for the branch.

“I just love cats, that’s why I do it,” says Angela. “I love their independence and I just look at them and think: ‘what a lifestyle’.

“I feel sad for all those cats that don’t have that nice lifestyle and I want to help them.”

Since she started fostering, Angela has cared for more than 40 cats and kittens at her home.

Her spare room is dedicated to her charges and full of everything they might need during their stay from litter boxes and scratching posts to a plentiful supply of toys.

Angela takes care of all their day-to-day needs, including feeding them, cleaning their living space, making sure they have fresh water, socialising them and grooming them.

She also takes them to any vet appointments they need and makes sure they get plenty of fuss and attention.

Her most recent visitors have been an eight-month-old black female cat – Dolly Purrton and her two grey kittens – Sir Isaac Mewton and Kitty Purry. Cats Protection were called into help after Dolly was found heavily pregnant in a garden.

“She came in on the Wednesday and gave birth on the Thursday. She gave birth to three kittens but one sadly didn’t survive.

"I hate to think what would have happened if Dolly hadn’t been found. I don’t think any of the kittens would have survived and I don’t know how Dolly would have managed with that. She is only a very young cat herself,” explains Angela.

The young family are now doing well thanks to the ongoing love and care provided at their foster home.

“Dolly is absolutely gorgeous and very friendly. The kittens are lovely and very active. We believe Isaac has wobbly cat syndrome, which affects his coordination. "He won’t get any better but he won’t get any worse. He’s still acts like every other kitten,” says Angela.

The charity always needs more fosterers to come forward to help cats like Dolly until they can be rehomed.

“We desperately need more fosterers because the more fosterers we have, the more cats we can save.

"We are also seeing a lot more kittens than usual. There used to be a kitten season in spring and summer but it’s all the time now. We’ve had litter after litter brought in,” says Angela.

To become a fosterer, volunteers will need to have a spare room in their house or a garden where one or more outdoor cat pens can be installed. Foster cats must be kept separate from any other pets in their home.

If someone doesn’t have any pets, they can become a whole-house fosterer where cats have more space to roam.

Everything a fosterer needs to care for their furry guests, from cat beds to food, is provided by Cats Protection.

One aspect of the role that can be difficult is learning to love and let go when the fostering period comes to an and.

But Angela says while she still finds saying goodbye sad, she sees it as an opportunity to help other cats in need.

“When I first started, it was very hard because you do absolutely fall in love with them. I’ve grown a bit of thicker skin with it but I still cry every time one goes.

“The positive thing is that a lot of time people send photographs of them settling into their forever home and that’s lovely.

“It also means that I have room to bring in the next cat like Dolly who needs help and that gives me a lot of pleasure.

“I’ve seen tiny kittens grow and develop into lovely animals that are going to make somebody very happy,” she says.

For more information about volunteering as a fosterer or adopting a cat, contact [email protected] or call 01902 651173. Further details can be found at www.cats.org.uk