Become a Foster Carer

FOSTER CARER INFORMATION AND REQUIREMENTS.
As the busy season begins, we are looking for dedicated, passionate, easy-going carers to join the Little Beans Team and have a positive and rewarding fostering experience. We do have very particular standards when it comes to selecting the right people for the very delicate job of caring for tiny kittens and their sometimes challenging mums.
Many cats that are pregnant or have newborns are found on the streets and are quite timid and need patient carers. We will not allow foster carers to take in aggressive cats. If you are considering becoming a foster carer there are things you need to consider:

- Are you local to the Wollondilly or Southern Highlands area? (It becomes difficult for us to manager carers who are not in our local area).
- Do you have adequate and safe space for a mother and her growing babies?
- Are you away from home frequently? Mothers and their babies are usually quite easy in the first few weeks, but they do need to be kept a close eye on, just in case of illness before during or after birth.
- Do you have agreeable family members and pets? Everyone needs to be on the same page. Other pets within the home need to be happy with sharing their home.
- Experience with cats/kittens is necessary! If you have never owned a cat before, we do not recommend fostering a mother and kittens. You do not however need experience specifically with a mother and newborns, we are here to guide and learn together.
- We will do our very best to provide financial support. We do regular orders of cat and kitten food, as well as litter. We will provide the basics, such as a litter tray, bowls, a bed/blankets. On the occasion our orders have taken a few extra days/weeks to arrive, so anyone who fosters should be prepared to sometimes support those in their care when necessary. Mother cats and their kittens need to be secluded in a secure pen. We will provide a pen for you.
- We understand its easy to get attached. If you decide there is a cat or kitten you cannot let go of, you are expected to adopt the kitten and follow the adoption process in the same fashion anyone else would.
- Do you have a car and license? Mothers and their kittens need extra care, and this means they need vet visits. Our vet is located in Braemar and we require anyone who fosters to be willing to transport the cat/kittens in their care to and from the vet when necessary.

- One cat and litter per carer. We will not allow carers to have more than one cat, or (depending on kittens ages) 4 kittens at one time. 

- We will not allow foster carers to take in cats or kittens without first consulting and discussing it with our team. We have limited space and resources.