Become a Part of the Whiskers Volunteer Team!
We are fortunate to have a group of fabulous volunteers and fosters who dedicate their free time to helping cats/kittens, but we can always use more help.
- Must be 18+ to volunteer or foster. We do accept some reliable 16-17 years old volunteers at the shelter, with parent permission. Must live in Southbury or nearby towns to foster.
- If you are interested in Volunteering at the shelter, please read below, and then fill out THIS CONTACT FORM.
- If you're have questions about Fostering, please read the information below. If you still have questions, please email WhiskersFosters@gmail.com *To apply to be a foster, please fill out THIS FORM.
Please be sure to watch for reply emails, as they may go to your spam!
VOLUNTEER POSITIONS AT WHISKERS PET RESCUE
We need reliable people to keep Whiskers clean & running smoothly!
Monday – Friday AM Cleaning Team: Start time is 9:00 AM (some volunteers choose to start earlier). This involves cleaning all cat cages/litter boxes, washing food and water bowls, doing laundry, vacuuming/sweeping the shelter floors, etc. Also feeding each cat/kitten appropriately (some of our residents are on special diets and/or medication), and providing fresh water. Approximately 3-4 hours, depending on how many cats we have. We do have some 2 hours shifts available for those with limited time or physical ability!
Monday – Sunday PM Cleaning Team: Start time is 5 PM. Feed, water, scoop litter, give medications if needed. Clean cage only if required. Approximately 1.5 -2 hours, depending on how many cats we have.
Adoption Team: Wednesday – Sunday, 1-4 PM: Assist with appointments of approved adopters, answer questions during public hours, keep cat cages clean, live answer calls, check
phone messages and return calls, and help with sending cats to their new homes! *We ask that new volunteers join one of the cleaning teams for a couple of months before moving to an adoption team in order to familiarize yourself with our processes.
Fundraising / Events: The shelter holds a number of events every year which offers volunteers the opportunity to get involved.
Fostering: Our Foster Care Program is vital to our organization. Our foster families give a loving temporary home to our rescued cats/kittens until they are ready to go to their forever homes.
Fosters need to have a spare room or a designated space in their home where foster cats can be kept separate from other pets. Cats go into foster homes for a variety of reasons: pregnancy, medical needs, illness, recovering from surgery, kittens too young for adoption, socialization. Fostering will usually be a time commitment of 4-12 weeks. All food, litter, veterinary care and necessary medications are provided by Whiskers. We also provide support and guidance as needed.
We also need shorter term fosters willing to help out with kittens not quite old enough for adoption or that need socialization. Sometimes we have cats or kittens recovering from illness or injury that need a foster to take care of them. We also occasionally have adult cats that need more socialization, or who do really poorly in the shelter environment and need a foster "vacation" for a few weeks or months, until they are adoptable.
NOTE: Fosters do need to be local to Southbury (within 30 minutes +/-) because you may need to bring kittens/cats in for vet appts, and also need to be able to pick up supplies. APPLY TO BE A FOSTER HERE