Cat/Kitten Care Staff -

Always & Furever Midwest Animal Sanctuary

Cat Care Staff - Job Description

Full-Time and Part-Time

Position Summary

The Cat Care Staff position is responsible for providing consistent, high-quality daily care to the cats and kittens at

Always & Furever Midwest Animal Sanctuary. This position requires attention to animal health and behavior, proper

cleaning and sanitation, enrichment and socialization, effective communication, and active participation in promoting cats

and kittens for adoption.

All Cat Care Staff, regardless of full-time or part-time status, are expected to participate in the promotion of cats and

kittens through social media and other adoption-focused efforts. Providing excellent daily care and actively helping

animals find homes are both essential responsibilities of this position.

Animal Care

• Provide daily feeding, fresh water, litter care, and other basic needs according to established procedures.

• Provide appropriate enrichment, socialization, play, handling, and individual attention.

• Become familiar with the individual personalities, behaviors, and needs of cats and kittens in our care.

• Follow instructions regarding special diets, medications, treatments, isolation protocols, or other individualized care

needs.

• Be comfortable administering oral, topical, and other routine medications as directed and trained by the medical team.

• Handle animals safely and humanely at all times.

Cleaning and Sanitation

• Clean and sanitize kennels, cat rooms, litter boxes, food and water dishes, floors, and common areas.

• Complete laundry, dishes, trash removal, restocking, and other routine cleaning responsibilities.

• Maintain cat areas in a clean, organized, safe, and professional condition throughout the shift.

• Follow all established sanitation, disease-prevention, and infection-control procedures.

Health and Behavioral Monitoring

• Observe cats and kittens throughout each shift for changes in health, appetite, water intake, elimination, behavior,

mobility, energy level, or overall condition.

• Promptly communicate any medical or behavioral concerns to the appropriate manager and/or medical team.

• Document observations and concerns according to established procedures.

• Understand that early recognition and communication of changes are essential to the health and safety of the animals

in our care.

Social Media and Adoption Promotion

Social media and adoption promotion are required responsibilities for both full-time and part-time Cat Care

Staff.

• Regularly obtain quality photos and videos of cats and kittens.

• Create, contribute to, and/or provide content for A&F social media platforms.

• Promote adoptable cats and kittens by highlighting their personalities, progress, individual qualities, and adoption

needs.• Assist in keeping promotional and adoption information accurate and current.

• Identify opportunities throughout each shift to capture meaningful content that may help increase adoption, foster,

volunteer, and community interest.

• Represent Always & Furever professionally and positively in all public-facing communication.

Communication and Teamwork

• Communicate clearly and professionally with managers, medical staff, coworkers, volunteers, adopters, and visitors.

• Follow established communication procedures for medical, behavioral, safety, and operational concerns.

• Work cooperatively with other staff members to ensure all animal care responsibilities are completed.

• Accept direction, coaching, and training and demonstrate a willingness to learn and improve.

• Notify management promptly of concerns that may affect animal care, safety, staffing, or daily operations.

General Position Expectations

• Maintain dependable attendance and punctuality.

• Complete assigned responsibilities thoroughly and within established timeframes.

• Follow all organizational policies, procedures, and safety requirements.

• Maintain a professional and respectful attitude while interacting with staff, volunteers, visitors, and members of the

public.

• Be flexible and able to adjust priorities as animal care and shelter needs change throughout the day.

• Participate in ongoing training as required.

• Perform other duties as assigned in support of shelter operations and the mission of Always & Furever Midwest

Animal Sanctuary.

Physical, Environmental, and Scheduling Requirements

• Ability to stand, walk, bend, kneel, reach, and perform repetitive cleaning and animal-care tasks throughout the shift.

• Ability to safely lift and carry supplies, litter, food, carriers, and animals as required.

• Ability to work around cats of varying ages, sizes, temperaments, and medical needs.

• Ability to work in an environment that may include animal hair, litter, cleaning products, odors, noise, animal waste,

scratches, bites, and other normal occupational hazards associated with animal shelter work.

• Availability may include weekends, holidays, and other shifts based on the needs of the shelter.

Qualifications

• Experience working with cats or animals is preferred but not required.

• Ability to follow written and verbal instructions.

• Strong observation and communication skills.

• Dependable, responsible, and comfortable working both independently and as part of a team.

• Willingness to learn appropriate cat handling, behavior, sanitation, and animal-care practices.

• Comfort and willingness to administer medications after appropriate instruction and training.

• Comfortable taking photos and videos and participating in social media and adoption promotion as a regular part of

the position.

Animal Shelter Exposure Disclaimer Working in an animal shelter environment involves routine exposure to animals with known or unknown medical histories.

Employees may be exposed to contagious or communicable feline illnesses, parasites, zoonotic diseases, bodily fluids,

animal waste, allergens, and other infectious agents. While Always & Furever Midwest Animal Sanctuary maintains

sanitation, isolation, personal protective equipment, and disease-prevention procedures intended to reduce these risks,

exposure cannot be completely eliminated. Employees are expected to follow all established infection-control, sanitation,

handling, and personal protective equipment procedures and promptly report suspected exposures or safety concerns to

management.

The responsibilities of Cat Care Staff extend beyond maintaining the daily needs of the animals. Every staff

member is expected to contribute to their quality of life while in our care and to actively help increase their

visibility and opportunities for adoption.