Tori Sutton
Staff Reporter

If you have a quiet room, a bit of time and plenty of love, the Perth County branch of the Ontario Society for Protection of Animals (OSPCA) needs you.

Late spring is the time of year when the population of cats and kittens tends to spike and start coming into the Douro Street shelter in high numbers.

And this year, the local OSPCA is low on foster homes to help take care of the young charges in their care.

“Most of them are way too young to be adopted at this time, but obviously we do have to care for them until they are old enough to be spayed, neutered and put up for adoption,” explained manager Sue Porter.

Usually, the OSPCA has about 10 foster homes. This year, the number has dropped to six, and though there’s not as many volunteers, there’s still the same number of cats in need.

“The current fosters are all full at this time and of course, we still have kittens coming in,” Porter said.

“We’re kind of in a crunch situation and we’re really looking for some people to step forward and help us.”

Foster parents do not have to live in Stratford, and just require a reliable source of transportation to the city when needed.

Potential volunteers are asked to fill out an application, and a full orientation is held before taking any kittens home.

The OSPCA provides food, litter and veterinary care, so foster parents do not have to spend out of pocket. If there are other pets in the home, a separate, quiet area is usually required.

Staff is there to offer support and is just a phone call away if the foster parent has any questions or concerns.

Most of the time, foster homes take a mother cat and her kittens. Little care is required as the mother cat tends to do most of the work.

Occasionally, older kittens will come in without their mother and the caregivers will have to take care of feeding and other duties.

“There is sometimes a little more work involved with them,” Porter said.

Depending on the age of the kittens, foster stays can range from six to eight weeks. By the time the kittens are 10 to 12 weeks old, they are ready to return to the shelter and be placed up for adoption.

It’s not only experienced cat owners who need apply. The shelter staff encourage anyone thinking about adopting a cat to try out fostering first to make sure it’s a good fit for their lifestyle.

“It is a nice interim thing to try out,” Porter said. “It gives them the idea of what it is like to have a wonderful furry feline running through their home.”

But being low on foster homes in kitten season isn’t the shelter’s only challenge. May and June are slow months for adoptions, with many families gearing up for the end of the school year, or busy with after-school sports. More animals are coming through the doors than are being adopted out.

For more information about fostering kittens, call the Perth County OSPCA at 519-273-6600.