VOLUNTEER
Kitty Cottage would love your help! As a non-profit, our budget is limited and the majority of it goes to feline welfare or cottage upkeep. Our staff work very hard but we rely greatly on community support. Most of our volunteer opportunities take place at the cottage, but we can also use event representatives and occasionally do have tasks which can be done at home.
Please contact us via email with your volunteering needs. If you are under the age of 18, your parent or guardian must contact us on your behalf. They will also need to accompany you during your volunteer hours. We can usually accommodate school service hours, community service hours (in some cases) and also if you just like cats and want to help. These opportunities are first come first serve and we can not always accommodate everyone.
If we have availability we will email you our volunteer application to complete which includes:
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Your contact information
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Information about your pets and animal experience
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Questions about your areas of volunteering and/or professional experience
On your first day of volunteering, volunteers must bring their license (or ID card) and medical insurance card (which must list their name) to this initial visit so that we can make a copy to keep on file. While you are here you can then pick your next day of volunteering on our Volunteer Schedule.
Thank you and the kitties hope to see you soon!
Cleaning
This is by far the most important thing that our volunteers help with. Morning cleaning happens daily from 9-11, 365 days a year. We believe strongly that our cage-free environment is best for the happiness of our cats and for helping us match them to their purrfect new family, but it is also means that it is much easier for diseases to spread. Our essential cleaning and sanitation procedures are performed daily, at minimum, to ensure that our space remains a safe, hygienic, and welcoming environment for residents and visitors alike.
Cat Welfare
With about 30 cats in our care, there’s always a feline who needs some love. That may come in the form of play time for more energetic residents, helping brush our long haired or older residents who need grooming help, hand feeding shy or ill cats, or even just providing a lap and some gentle cheek rubs to let the kitties know they’re loved.
Fundraising
Kitty Cottage is entirely supported by private donations, so fundraising is a MAJOR way for volunteers to help. You could be a representative for KC at a community event, network in the community for fundraising partners, run a fundraising event at your work or school, develop new ideas for a fundraising project or event, or obtain gifts and gift certificates from area businesses for use as prizes in our fundraising opportunities. If you’re able, it would be beyond helpful if you could help us fundraise by personally donating.
Maintenance
Do you have a special skill? Carpentry, plumbing, electrical wiring, landscaping? We can always use more handy-persons around the cottage! Talk to your friends and maybe pick a day once a month to come in and help us on some of our projects.
VOLUNTEER POSITIONS
Paws for Reading
Paws for Reading is a very special program at Kitty Cottage that helps our kitties become more accustomed to interacting with children, and helps kids of all ages enhance their reading skills by providing a totally judgement-free audience. This also helps increase their comfort level around new animals and gives them an opportunity to learn about cat care and rescue. We invite all members of the community to come in any time we’re open with a book (or several) and read silently with, or aloud to, our kitties.
