Open Access Te Herenga Waka-Victoria University of Wellington
Browse

Challenges and Benefits of Cat Fostering: A Focus Group Study With Volunteer Cat Fosterers in Aotearoa New Zealand

journal contribution
posted on 2025-05-06, 00:40 authored by C Roseveare, Á Szabó, A Weatherall, C Gardiner, C Phear, Anne HaaseAnne Haase
Cat fostering programs play a critical role in managing and supporting the health and wellbeing of stray, abandoned, or relinquished cats. Most cat fostering programs can only operate with the help of volunteer cat fosterers. Yet, there is comparatively little research on the experiences of cat fosterers. This study aimed to explore the motivations of volunteer cat fosterers, the challenges they experienced in their fostering practice, and what they perceived as the main benefits of cat fostering. We conducted focus group interviews with cat fosterers in Aotearoa New Zealand to answer our research questions. In total, 13 cat fosterers with a range of fostering experience participated in the focus groups. Data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. The primary motivations to become cat fosterers included a general love for animals, wanting an alternative to cat ownership, and the desire to help and make a difference, which was underpinned by altruistic values. Cat fostering is an emotionally challenging role that requires significant time commitment and involves substantial responsibility, which makes it a form of high-stakes volunteerism. Despite the challenges, however, cat fosterers experienced social and emotional benefits along with the satisfaction of making a meaningful impact on their fosters' lives. These benefits fulfill the basic psychological needs of autonomy, relatedness, and competence. The findings have important implications for shelter organizations and for the recruitment, retention, and training of volunteer fosterers.

Funding

Fostering Cats for Better Health: How do Cat Fostering Programmes Benefit Companion Animals and Humans? | Funder: Healthy Pets New Zealand

History

Preferred citation

Roseveare, C., Szabó, Á., Weatherall, A., Gardiner, C., Phear, C. & Haase, A. M. (2025). Challenges and Benefits of Cat Fostering: A Focus Group Study With Volunteer Cat Fosterers in Aotearoa New Zealand. Anthrozoos, ahead-of-print(ahead-of-print), 1-16. https://doi.org/10.1080/08927936.2025.2476294

Journal title

Anthrozoos

Volume

ahead-of-print

Issue

ahead-of-print

Publication date

2025-01-01

Pagination

1-16

Publisher

Informa UK Limited

Publication status

Published

Online publication date

2025-04-02

ISSN

0892-7936

eISSN

1753-0377

Language

en