Job Descriptions

Volunteer

Volunteers play a critical role in carrying out our mission. They fill a need that would otherwise have to be performed by paid staff. Whether cleaning the cat adoption rooms, doing laundry, taking out the trash, or answering the phones, our volunteers help Simply Cats spend its money where it matters – on the cats.

Make an Impact
Volunteers also make a substantial impact on the lives of the cats with whom they interact. Cats with timid personalities that might otherwise prevent them from getting adopted, blossom under the patient and persistent socializing efforts of our volunteers and become ideal adoption candidates.
Volunteer responsibilities include:

Adoption Room Cleaner
Reception
Grooming
Shelter Care
Cat Behaviorist
Special Events
Foster

You will be asked to make a regular commitment to volunteering (once a week or twice a month, for example). Please fill out our volunteer application or contact our volunteer coordinator at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) for more information. Thanks for your interest!

If you are under the age of 16, there are still many ways you can help, including, but not limited to, organizing an aluminum can drive, organizing a food/litter drive, sponsoring a cat, senior projects, making cat toys, and service learning projects. If you have any other ideas, contact the Volunteer Coordinator to discuss possibilities.

Simply Cats Volunteer Positions

Room Cleaner:
Volunteers clean cat rooms (each which has approximately 8 cats) every day of the week, before business hours begin. Cleaning a cat room consists of scooping and refilling the litter boxes, cleaning the counter, sweeping and mopping the floor, and washing and refilling food and water bowls. This position is by far the biggest need for volunteers.

Reception:
Receptionists are stationed at the front desk, greet the public, answer phone calls, check messages, return calls, and deliver messages to appropriate staff. They also do various office projects as assigned. This position requires excellent people skills, patience, and the ability to be polite and calm while dealing with stressful situations. Training will be provided including one shadow day with a current receptionist. Available times to volunteer are Tuesday-Saturday, 12-4. This position is under direct supervision of the Volunteer Coordinator.

Grooming:
Volunteer groomers will brush, comb, clip nails, and bathe cats as requested by the Simply Cats staff. Experience with cats is a must and experience grooming is preferred, although we will train. A good groomer would have cats at home, be patient, and would have a calm demeanor that would soothe cats who may be anxious about being groomed. In addition, a groomer would need to be comfortable following Simply Cats rules and procedures regarding equipment, tools, and cleanliness. Training includes an initial volunteer orientation with the Volunteer Coordinator, and a subsequent training session with the Cat Care Manager. Only volunteers over 18, please.

Shelter Care:
Shelter Care volunteers come in the afternoon, and do a variety of tasks as listed on the volunteer task board or as requested by staff. Duties include doing laundry, cleaning cat carries and/or litter boxes, replenishing adoption room supplies, helping with special projects and much more!

Cat Behaviorist:
Behaviorists work with cats at the shelter that do not have good social skills with people, or are very frightened. A good behaviorist would have lots of experience with cats, a calm demeanor, and knowledge of cat behavior, be very patient, and can work independently. Behaviorists must be 18 or over.

Special Events:
Volunteers can assist with special events both within the shelter (e.g. a holiday event), and outside the shelter (e.g. a food drive), as needed. A good special events volunteer would be outgoing and love to talk to people, have a good knowledge of the shelter, is reliable, and able to problem solve and work independently.

Foster:
Fosters keep young kittens that need to be bottle fed in their homes, until they are 8 weeks of age and old enough to be adopted. Fosters work closely with the Shelter Manager. There is a separate volunteer application and a more extensive training for fosters, and more information is available through the Volunteer Coordinator.