WESTVILLE | The Independent Cat Society is in desperate need of foster parents to care for pregnant and nursing mother cats and orphaned and abandoned kittens.

Foster parents need to have a separate area in thier house--not a garage--separated from household pets to keep cats until they are ready to move to the no-kill shelter for adoption. The shelter pays for the costs of vaccines and spaying or neutering and will help with transportation to the vet.

Foster care for newborn kittens can last up to 12 weeks. Medicators from the shelter will come to the foster home to give medications if necessary and give any help or advice to the foster parents. The non-profit shelter always needs more foster families for older cats needing a quiet home or cats recuperating from surgery or other special needs cats, such as diabetics. All medical costs are paid by the Independent Cat Society.

If intersted in learning more about fostering opportunities, call the shelter at (219)785-4936 and leave a message. A foster care committee member will return the call promptly.

To prevent unwanted litters of kittens, the shelter offers a $50 basic spay or neuter. Certificates can be paid for at the shelter in cash or money order only during week-end hours--10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday or 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday. Vet appointments can then be made by the owner with one of the shelter's participating vets.

The shelter is located on U.S. 6 at County Line road between Porter and LaPorte counties in Westville.

--The Times