Nine Lives: how to volunteer and help

Volunteering with Nine Lives

About Nine Lives

Nine Lives is a registered pet adoption service that rehomes rescued and abandoned cats with carefully screened adopters. It describes itself as Dubai’s largest volunteer-run, foster-based cat rescue. There is no shelter. Instead, cats live in foster homes until they are matched with a forever family.

The group is run entirely by volunteers, with no salaries. It is licensed by the Department of Economy and Tourism and the UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment. Alongside adoptions, Nine Lives also offers pet relocation and pet transport within the UAE, handled by a separate team.

What volunteers do

Because there is no shelter, the heart of volunteering here is fostering. Fosterers give a rescued cat a safe, calm place to recover, settle and show their personality. That home life is what helps the right adopter fall for them.

Day to day, a fosterer:

• Cares for the cat at home and gives them plenty of attention.
• Takes the cat to vet visits.
• Brings the cat to adoption appointments once a possible adopter is found.

Some cats need longer stays, for example while they recover from surgery or manage a health condition. If you do not have a car, Nine Lives suggests asking about one of these long-term fosters, as they usually involve fewer trips.

Who can volunteer

Nine Lives does not publish a long list of rules for fosterers. What it does say is that fosterers provide the basics: food dishes, good quality food (it names Royal Canin or Hill’s), a litter tray, a scoop and litter. You will also need time, patience and a home where a cat can settle safely. The team is on hand if you have concerns along the way.

How to get involved

1. Read the foster page. Start on the Foster page so you know what is involved.
2. Fill in the foster form. Applications go through the online foster a cat form.
3. Wait to hear back. A volunteer will be in touch about a cat that suits your home and routine.
4. Ask questions. If you are unsure, contact the adoptions team on WhatsApp or by email before you apply.

Fostering and adoption

If you are ready to adopt, the steps are simple. Browse the cats online, fill in the adoption questionnaire, and if you look like a good match a volunteer arranges a trial adoption appointment. Applications are approved online first, and cats are not reserved.

Every adopter gets a one-week trial, which includes a house check. If it is not working, you can return the cat within that week for a full refund. After the trial, fees are not refunded.

Published adoption fees are AED 1,000 for Arabian Mau cats and kittens, and AED 1,200 for all other breeds. The fee covers a health check, first and booster vaccinations, rabies vaccination, microchipping, deworming, FIV and FeLV tests, neutering or spaying, a pet passport and any pre-adoption treatment or surgery. Grooming is included for certain breeds and longhaired cats, along with advice and support after adoption.

Key requirements:

• You must be 21 or over, or your parents must adopt.
• Cats must be kept indoors only.
• Shared or bachelor accommodation is not accepted.
• You sign a contract and agree to a house check.
• Kittens under five months need a young companion, so they are usually adopted in pairs.
• Existing pets need passports showing sterilisation, up-to-date vaccines and, for cats, FIV, FeLV and FCoV test results.

Other ways to help

Not everyone can foster or adopt, and that is fine. Sharing adoptable cats from the View Cats page with friends and colleagues helps more cats get seen. If you would like to support the rescue in another way, contact the team and ask what is most useful right now.

Good to know before you go

• Cats are visited in foster homes, not at a shelter, so meetings are arranged after your application is reviewed.
• Have your documents ready, including pet passports for any animals you already have.
• Cat-proof windows and balconies before a foster or adopted cat arrives. Indoor-only is a firm rule.
• Think about summer travel. A foster cat needs care while you are away, so mention any trips when you apply.
• Kittens are lively. Plan a quiet room where they can sleep and settle.

Contact and links

• Website: ninelives.ae
• Foster: ninelives.ae/foster
• Adopt: ninelives.ae/adopt
• Fees and info: ninelives.ae/adoption-fee
• Adoptions email: adoptions@ninelives.ae
• Adoptions WhatsApp: 056 351 1057
• Telephone: 04 280 8379
• Relocations email: relocations@ninelives.ae