Love Cats? Volunteers needed in feral cat trapping, care, transport, foster, and more

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If you are interested in helping South County Cats in our mission to reduce overpopulation, homelessness and euthanasia in animal shelters through spay-neuter, please email us at southcountycats@comcast.net.

The following descriptions summarize our various volunteering opportunities:

Volunteer CPA needed!

Attend adoption events at various locations with adoptable cats and kittens to increase their exposure in the hopes of finding them a home. As an Adoption Counselor, you will spend time showing the cats, educating the public about the organization, answering questions, screening potential adopters, completing paperwork and collecting adoption fees.

Provide a temporary home (perhaps 3 - 4 weeks) for cats or kittens waiting to be adopted. This may be for animals that need extra care, such as kittens that need important socializing or those recovering from injury or illness. South County Cats can provided initial supplies such as kitten milk, kitten food, etc., but generally foster families supply quality cat/kitten food and litter as part of their volunteer responsibilities.

Organize and/or participate in activities which raise needed funds for the organization.

Coin Can Monitor - Place and monitor coin can(s) in local businesses. Check cans regularly (frequency depends on the business) with money collected going toward our spay/neuter program.

Follow cleaning and sterilizing procedures of all carriers and equipment (including traps and litter boxes) in which cats have been housed or transported. The cleaning is very important to prevent spread of disease that may be transmitted through use of shared carriers or equipment.

Research grant and funding opportunities. Write grant requests on behalf of South County Cats.

Set humane or 'live' traps to catch feral cats and kittens. We encourage those seeking assistance to do the trapping themselves, but sometimes this requires training on the use of the trap or assisting with the trapping. This is a good opportunity to educate the public and show them 'the ropes' of TNR. Deliver cats or gear to/from your area and demonstrate or assist TNR procedures.

Drive your personal vehicle to transport cats and equipment. This is a particular need of the organization because the best source of inexpensive spay/neuter surgeries is on the other side of King County, approximately an 80 mile round trip. Ideally, vehicles to be used should have a capacity of 10 - 15 small to medium-size carriers. Volunteers who transport are asked to keep track of mileage and will be given a receipt to use as a tax deduction. Proof of insurance is also necessary.

Staff the South County Cats' exhibit at local public events. This is usually done in 2 - 3 hour shifts and provides the opportunity to educate the public about our spay-neuter assistance and resources for helping feral cats. It may also provide the opportunity to recruit new volunteers, raise funds and help find homes for cats (if it is an adoption event).

Be the eyes and ears of South County Cats in your community! These volunteer positions are needed for each of the towns in South King County, including (but not limited to): Auburn, Black Diamond, Covington, Enumclaw, Federal Way, Issaquah, Kent, Maple Valley and Renton. As a local rep, your responsibilities could include any or all of the following:

• Monitor local publications
• Identify community outreach/publicity opportunities
• Learn local city ordinances (TNR-related)
• Identify potential business sponsors
• Build relationships in pet stores and vet clinics