Anne Haase (Victoria University Wellington), Christine Roseveare (Massey University) and their colleagues recently published the findings of their study into cat fostering in an article titled “Challenges and Benefits of Cat Fostering: A Focus Group Study With Volunteer Cat Fosterers in Aotearoa New Zealand.” Interviewers with fosters revealed that a strong connection to animals was often a motivating factor, and many had been cat owners in the past but were currently in a situation where they were unable to have a cat of their own. They also saw it as a positive contribution to the community, and some had taken up or resumed fostering during Covid lockdowns as a way of helping in challenging times. Fosterers unanimously found the role to be fulfilling and rewarding, with positive effects on social and emotional wellbeing, including the company of animals and meeting like-minded people in the organisation, as well as practical benefits. However, it was also logistically and emotionally demanding, with fosters reporting distress when cats were unwell and worry about where they would find homes. They were not necessarily prepared for dealing with cats with complex conditions or situations where cats required euthanasia, and some fosters commented that vets, technicians, and nurses were valuable sources of informal support in these situations. Fosterers expressed a desire to have the freedom to choose their level of involvement in decisions that directly impact the animals in their care, and some would like more training and upskilling opportunities to be provided by foster organisations. To read the full article, which is available to everyone (open access) visit https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/08927936.2025.2476294#d1e570 or see the Completed Research page on our website under projects funded in 2022.