SARAH & CLAUDIA

Please tell us a little bit about yourself

My name is Sarah, and I foster kittens for KLAWS with my daughter Claudia.

We are originally from England and have lived in Ireland for 16 years, since Claudia was 2.

I have always had a love for animals, particularly horses and cats. I studied to be a riding instructor in England but didn't pursue that career.

I ended up marrying my husband and having 6 children, of whom Claudia is the 3rd oldest.

We have had many pets as the children were growing up. It's great to bring them up to care for animals, and it gives them a bit of responsibility as well.

Claudia is hoping to become a veterinary nurse. She is currently pet sitting part-time which she enjoys.

How do you volunteer with KLAWS?

We currently volunteer for KLAWS by fostering kittens but occasionally we take in older cats as well.

Why did you decide to become a volunteer with an animal rescue charity?

Claudia was on work experience and fell in love with a kitten at the vets. The kitten belonged to KLAWS so we did a bit of research into how we could help out with KLAWS

What have you learnt from volunteering?

What I've learnt from fostering is that we fall in love so easily😊 But we can't keep them all, and it’s very rewarding to see the kittens flourish in their new homes.

Is there anything about fostering that you didn’t expect?

We now have 6 cats!

Also, the number of friends that come to me with kittens that they have found, or their friends have found that they don't know what to do with!

We know that working with rescue animals can be challenging — it can be stressful and heartbreaking at times. How do you cope with difficulties?

We just have to remind ourselves that we do our very best and give them all the love they need. Fortunately, during our 2 years of fostering we have only lost one kitten that was sick from the beginning. She lived to have 5 months of love, warmth and food - all the things she loved that she wouldn't have had if she had been left on the side of the road.

Also, giving the kittens to their new homes is tough but they have all gone to lovely homes and many of the adoptive homes stay in touch.

What have been the high and low points of your time as a volunteer? Maybe you have some standout (foster) stories to tell?

I have 3 amazing stories that stand out. Firstly, there’s Pickles, now Lady.

I saw a lady in Killarney holding a kitten. She didn't know what to do with her. I took her in straight away, but this kitten was riddled with everything possible: from ringworm to all the usual, fleas, worms, mites etc.  We had to keep her isolated for 6 weeks but before she was even advertised, she had found the perfect home. Christine fell in love from the picture we’d used to see if she had an owner. When no one turned up to claim her, Christine came over straight away and then waited for 6 patient weeks to collect her. Christine sends me regular photos of Lady, and she is having the best life. The vet didn't think she would make it, but she defied the odds.

Then there were Leo and Mittens.

Leo was a stray kitten that even the vet thought would never be tamed, but with Claudia's patience and gentleness he was transformed completely.

And then there's Mittens, who was a bit feisty and needed a very special home to train her, otherwise she couldn’t have turned into such a nice cat. She found the perfect home with Megan and is now a cute, cuddly cat full of love.

What would you say to someone who’s thinking about volunteering? Would you recommend it?

I would definitely recommend volunteering for an animal charity. It is so rewarding to see the kittens transform and then go off to their forever homes. Their lives would be so different if they didn't get the chance in life that is only possible due to the volunteers.