AN ANIMAL rehoming centre in Bromsgrove is calling out for new volunteer foster carers after an influx of kittens over the summer months.
Bromsgrove’s Blue Cross shelter has seen a rise in the number of unwanted and abandoned kittens and needs support to help care for them.
Some are being abandoned by their mothers and left to fend for themselves while others from unplanned litters cannot be cared for by their owners.
Without their mother, young kittens need round-the-clock care and hand feeding every few hours until they are strong enough.
Some kittens arrive needing urgent vet care, suffering from flea anaemia which makes them extremely weak, and can lead to blindness if left untreated and even death.
Laura Coveney, centre manager at Blue Cross in Bromsgrove, said: “Sadly, we take in a lot of homeless kittens and pregnant cats over the warmer months.
“With additional concerns around the cost-of-living crisis potentially putting owners off getting their cat neutered, we are worried that this year will see us taking in even more than usual.
“We aim to find them a foster home instead of caring for them in our cattery because it is vital for them to be around the usual household sights and sounds to enable them to grow into happy and confident adult cats.”
Kittens and cats currently being cared for by the team at Bromsgrove and volunteer foster carers include Waffle, Pretzel, Churro, Bagel. The kittens were found as strays and came into Blue Cross from PDSA.
Three more kittens, named Honolulu, Maui and Bali, being cared for by the team were found abandoned in a cardboard box.
They are currently being treated for cat flu and are being cared for by one of the team’s foster carers.
Honolulu is smaller than her littermates and has needed more care and vet treatment so the foster home has been vital in helping to provide vital support to her.
Foster carers receive full training and all costs, including travel, are covered by Blue Cross and there is full support and guidance throughout.
Visit www.bluecross.org.uk/pet-fostering or contact the centre in Bromsgrove via email [email protected] or phone 0300 777 1842 to find out more about volunteering.
