How to Help
Cats Aid is run by a very small group of volunteers who give up
their free time to help cats and kittens in need.
Our workload is
increasing every year and we struggle to keep up with the demands on
our time and our resources. Can YOU help us?
Even if you don’t
feel you have the time or commitment to give, you would be surprised
at how a little help can go a long way.
Below is a guide
to the following ways in which you or your friends may be able to
help us.
Adopt a Cat
Foster a Cat
Sponsor a Cat
Become
a
Member
Make a Donation
Join the Helpline team
Volunteer to help with trapping
Support our Fundraisers
Hold your own fundraising event
Spread
the Word!
Adopt a Cat
Could you give a permanent home to a cat or kitten via
adoption?
Cats Aid is about providing loving homes for cats. How do we do
that? We put photos and details of cats on our web pages and ask if
you could give one (or more) a home. If you don’t have access to the
internet, then ring our helpline, leave your name and telephone number and someone will return your call and discuss at
length the different cats we have available. We will listen to any
concerns you may have and advise and reassure. The cat’s welfare is
our main priority but we also like to ensure, as far as possible,
that potential new owners are matched up with the right cat for them
and their circumstances. Cats make wonderful companions and can
really make a house a home!
Foster a
Cat
Could you give a temporary
foster home to a kitten or cat?
Have you
thought about getting a companion cat but feel your present
lifestyle just doesn’t suit a long term commitment? Or maybe you’re
not sure how you and a cat would get on? Or do you already have a
cat but feel that one more in your home on a temporary basis would
not be a problem? Then perhaps you would think of becoming a Cats
Aid Fosterer… What does this entail? Cats Aid does not have a
shelter or sanctuary, so the cats we rescue are taken into the homes
of our foster volunteers until a permanent home can be found. We
are very desperate for more foster homes because the more places we
have available, the more cats and kittens we can take in and help.
Because of the shortage of foster homes we often have to resort to
boarding rescued cats in kennels in vets’ surgeries, the cost of
which really adds up and is causing us a lot of concern. - A loving
foster home works wonders for cats and kittens who have experienced
abandonment and hard times and it prepares them for their new home.
- All animals are health checked and Cats Aid takes responsibility
for all medical expenses. - Advice and backup is always on hand.
Sponsor a Cat
Would you like to
sponsor the care and wellbeing of a
particular cat, if you cannot provide a home for one?
Cats
Aid have a number of cats that cannot, for one reason or another, be
re-homed. They may need ongoing medical attention, or have
behavioural problems or just be too old or too timid. 
These cats
become permanently fostered cats and stay in the homes of a few of
our core group volunteers. It puts a large financial burden on
Cats Aid to provide medical help and food for these special cats,
whose number is increasing each year. This money could be put to
better use if we can get sponsorship for each cat. Sponsorship
involves dedicating a sum of money each month to a cat in order to
offset expenses. In return we will send you a photo and some
information about the cat you have sponsored. There are many cat
lovers out there, but not everyone can give a cat a home so this is
the next best thing! Some people sponsor a cat as a gift for a
friend or relative, which is a lovely thoughtful idea.
Become a Member
If you share our aims and would like to support us in our work, then
consider becoming a Member of Cats Aid.
Our suggested minimum
donation to become a member is €15.
(Pensioners/unwaged/junior
supporters €6).
We will send you our
Newsletter which we publish 3
or 4 times a year and also advise you of any fundraising events.
Download a copy of our
Membership Form, pick up a form at
any of our fundraising events or ring the helpline and we will post
one out to you.
Make a Donation
If you do not wish to become a member but would still like to
support Cats Aid, we would be delighted to receive your
donation
to help us continue our work.
Join the Helpline Team
Are you good at dealing with people on the phone?
A lot of our work
is done through our telephone helpline. Training and support will be
given. Just a few hours a week can be really helpful to our core
group co-ordinators. If you would like to find out more, please
ring our helpline, leave your name and telephone number on the
answer phone, and also briefly explain that you wish to find out
more about volunteering to join the Helpline team, and someone will
phone you back to discuss. Or alternatively send us an
email
with your name, telephone number etc.
Volunteer to help with trapping
Special purpose-built traps are used to catch cats who may need our
attention but are too afraid or unused to human contact to be simply
picked up.
We also monitor feral colonies and trap, neuter/spay and
return (TNR) cats to sustainable colonies. This helps reduce the
overpopulation of stray cats and promote better health and quality
of life for the neutered male and spayed female. Our problem a lot
of the time is lack of manpower in getting the traps to the areas
needed. We would love to have more volunteers in all parts of Dublin
and surrounding counties to help us with this vital work.
Support our Fundraisers
It is a constant struggle to raise funds.
In spite of the support
of many veterinary practices, our bills for treatment & boarding are
very high. Therefore we need all the support we can get for our
fundraisers.
We are always delighted to see people at our Sales… we
hold them twice a year, at Christmas time and in early Summer. Come
along, and tell your friends and family to come too! Are you able
to donate items we can sell, or bake a cake for the cake stall.
These Sales are an opportunity to meet us and pick up a bargain at
the same time!
We hold other fundraisers too from time to time,
details will be in your
newsletter
or on the website.
Every 18
months or so we hold a photographic competition which is always
popular.
There is our Grand Raffle held every two years, and
occasionally we hold supermarket collections.
Each year we make an
appeal for women to take part in the Ladies Mini Marathon in aid of
Cats Aid.
All support for any of our fundraisers is very welcome.
Hold Your Own Fundraising Event
Why not hold a coffee morning or a table quiz for Cats Aid?
Such events are great fun and any amount you raise, big or
small, will be greatly appreciated and go directly to helping cats
and kittens in need. Have you any other ideas for a fundraiser?
How
about asking your friends & family to a BBQ in Summer
and charge a fun admission fee for Cats Aid!
Younger members could
organise sponsored swims, skipathons or sale of works.
If you are
thinking of holding a fundraiser in aid of Cats Aid, please contact
us and we can provide literature for display or Cats Aid
merchandising for sale if you wish.
We are happy to help and
support in any way that we can, if required.
Spread the Word!
Tell your family and friends about us and maybe they can help in
some way too.
Do you know someone who is looking to give a cat a
home, or might be interested in
fostering, or becoming a member…
give them our
contact
details!
Finally, thank you for reading this, and taking an interest in Cats
Aid.