ANIMALS: Cat Rescue Volunteer

Volunteers play a vital role in the mission of Community Cat Foundation. By helping with daily care, enrichment, and socialization, volunteers directly improve the lives of cats while helping them become healthy, confident, and ready for adoption.

This is a wonderful opportunity for animal lovers to make a meaningful impact while spending time with cats who truly benefit from human care and kindness.

Volunteers between 4-9 years old must have an adult volunteering with them while volunteers 10-17 can serve alone as long as their parent or guardian completes the waiver for CCF.  

Volunteers will receive the address in their confirmation email. Please also note that the building gate does not open until 1:45pm.

Opportunity Requirements & Important Notes

Key Responsibilities:

• Cat Socialization Volunteer: Help shy cats learn to trust people through gentle interaction, play, and socialization so they can be adopted into loving homes.

• Rescue Cat Care Team: Assist with daily care of rescue cats including feeding, cleaning, enrichment, and helping cats feel safe and comfortable.

• Cat Enrichment & Play Volunteer: Provide playtime, enrichment, and gentle socialization to help rescue cats gain confidence and prepare for adoption.

Desired Skills & Qualifications: 

• Organizational skills, understanding, social media, photography, knowledge of fundraising and publicity

Training Provided: They provide all training at the beginning of each shift so that everyone is comfortable working around the cats.

Attire: Casual attire such as jeans, t-shirt, and closed-toe shoes. Volunteers will be given shoe covers for the safety of their cats, so please wear clean socks. They recommend that you wear clothing that you can brush cat hair from and not be concerned if a cat nail snags on the fabric. This opportunity takes place indoors.

Bring: Snacks and beverages that will stay in the reception room. Unfortunately, they do not have a refrigerator.

Physical Requirements: The ability to walk up a flight of stairs, sit on the floor to play with cats, maneuver between exercise pens where cats sleep at night, to lift a cat from their perch to the floor, to carry waste to the garbage can, and walk from the community room to the laundry room with soiled bedding. Unfortunately, this opportunity is not able to make accommodations for individuals with physical limitations and the space where this project takes place is not wheelchair accessible.

Waiver: There is a required liability waiver that is necessary when working with animals. Please bring a printed copy or email a completed digital version to CCF.

Photos: When using photos taken at the Rescue, CCF has designated hashtags if posting those photos on social media. Please respect the privacy of cats, other volunteers, and any team members working in the facility by asking permission to take photographs.

About Community Cat Foundation

The mission of Community Cat Foundation is to help community cats and kittens in need through rescues and rehabilitation. Community Cat Foundation is a 501(c)(3) cat rescue located in downtown San Diego dedicated to helping community cats and kittens in need. Their team rescues vulnerable cats, provides medical care and socialization, and works to place them into loving permanent homes whenever possible. They also provide lifelong sanctuary care for cats who cannot safely return to outdoor living or traditional homes.