Foster families give kittens a chance

Hundreds of kittens like these ones are in foster care throughout the summer months in homes with foster families like Christelle High. Photo/Rebecca Mauger

Even with allergies, the High family are dedicated to helping kittens get the best start to life.

Christelle, Chris and son Carter, take care of cute kittens who are destined for adoption at Tauranga SPCA but are too young yet.

Christelle says 'yes' to look after sometimes 3-4 litters a year. Husband Chris has allergies and can not get too close to the little fur babies, but he is happy to help.

Carter, 13, is a cat lover and he encourages his mum to take more every year, which she is happy to do. She's been an SPCA foster parent for four years.

"We just enjoy it. It's so nice to give the kittens somewhere to socialise, somewhere they can get lots of love cuddles and hugs.

"You get some that are pretty rough, that have never been picked up. I know that when they go back to the SPCA, we have given them the best start we can."

That makes her happy, Christelle says. She follows up on the kittens and they are always quickly adopted and are making someone else happy.

Tauranga SPCA manager Margaret Rawiri says they couldn't get through the summer kitten season if it weren't for their foster families. They use about 50 foster families for cats and 15-20 for puppies.

Some of their foster parents do both (but not at the same time). About 600 kittens and 180 puppies are fostered each year.

"The number of kittens we take in year after year far exceeds the number of cages and resources we have available.

Last year we had hundreds of kittens in foster throughout the summer months, which would be impossible for us to house at the shelter, so you can imagine how important our fosters are and why we always need more."

The majority of kittens and puppies that come into their care are mostly too young for adoption and the SPCA don't want animals in cages during that process.

"Thankfully our foster parents will take them home into a wonderful environment and play the vital role of teaching our young and vulnerable animals that they don't have to suffer, they don't have to go without meals and they can learn to play and be a part of a family, prior to them returning to the centre and having the chance to find a new loving family and home.

"Our foster families really do give them the best chance." Foster parents like Christelle nurture kittens for three to four weeks until they are at a certain weight and age.

They take them to the vet for vaccinations and de-sexing before going to the SPCA for adoption.