At Cat Adoption Team, we have a variety of different programs and areas in which to volunteer. Whatever talents or preferences you have, we should be able to match you with a great opportunity where you can make a difference and help us save lives. Whether it is helping cats find their perfect human match, or giving comfort to a scared cat who has just arrived at the shelter, or offering temporary care in your home to a litter of kittens, there are many ways to help homeless cats. And as any CAT volunteer will tell you, it is deeply rewarding to be a part of these kitties’ “furry tales” come true, as cats and kittens are given loving care at the shelter and find their own homes.
Volunteers in our program commit to volunteering for a minimum of eight hours a month for at least six months. Some volunteer opportunities require a regular, consistent schedule; others do not.
Volunteers at our Sherwood shelter must be at least twelve years old; volunteers at our outreach PetSmart locations must be at least fourteen. Volunteers under sixteen must be accompanied during every shift by an adult who volunteers alongside and who makes the same volunteer commitment. Please note that there are no exceptions to these rules.
Below are a few of our central opportunities. Volunteers also assist with special public outreach events, fundraising, helping care for cats in our veterinary hospital, as well as in other capacities.
Matchmaking
Do you like talking about cats? Do you like making new friends with people who like cats? Then perhaps matchmaking (or adoption counseling) is for you! Matchmakers help adopters find a cat who is a good fit for them. They offer education on the values and quirks of cats, to ensure a great match for adoptive family and cat alike. Matchmakers play a direct part in helping cats find homes and find fulfillment in seeing once homeless cats become loved family members. This position is available at our Sherwood shelter, as well as at CAT outreach adoption centers at the Clackamas, Hillsboro, Tigard, Tualatin, and Wilsonville PetSmarts.
Caregiving
Kitty purrs and hugs await you as a caregiver. Caregivers are hands-on with our cats; they get to know individual cats and find satisfaction in helping our cats’ stay at the shelter to be clean, safe, and comfortable. Caregivers provide food, water, love and attention to our cats, and assist with cleaning kennels, washing dishes, and laundry. Because CAT does not euthanize any healthy animals, you can feel good knowing that the cats you help care for and devote your time to will remain warm and safe in our facility until adopted to loving indoor homes. This volunteer position is available at the Sherwood shelter as well as at outreach adoption centers at the Clackamas, Hillsboro, Tigard, and Wilsonville PetSmarts.
Fostering
Nothing brings joy and fun like kittens at play, or kittens asleep in your lap. Foster parents experience this joy and entertainment by providing temporary care in their own home for mom cats and their kittens (or orphaned kittens) until the kittens are old enough to find their own permanent homes. Foster parents may also provide temporary care for adult cats recovering from injuries, or who just need a break from the shelter, and they get to see first-hand a cat blossoming as its injuries heal, or a cat relax comfortably in a home after a stay at the shelter. Time commitment is variable, depending on the age of the kittens or health status of the cat.
Digital Photography and Writing (Petfinder Volunteer)
Do you have an artistic bent, and like to tell stories or take pictures? Consider becoming a volunteer who takes pictures of cats and writes biographies for those cats and then posts them on petfinder.com. Petfinder.com is a site shelters and rescue groups use to advertise shelter cats and kittens who are available for adoption. Postings for CAT cats or kittens receive on average 5,000 postings a week and are instrumental in finding cats homes; often an engaging picture or appealing biography for a cat is what prompts a person to meet a cat or kitten and adopt.
