I loved volunteering at the SPCA animal shelter when I lived in New Zealand. OK, it was a cleaners job i.e., put the cat in a carry cage then clean out the litter trays, clean the food bowls, replenish the water bowls, sweep and mop the floors of the cage, shake out the cat's blanket.
Tell the centre manager if I found cat sick or runny poo i.e. if an animal was unwell.
Then put clean newspaper down underneath the litter tray/s. Make sure clean litter tray, toys, scratching post in place.
Repeat until all cages are clean and replenished.
Some cats were totally indifferent to me being there. Most cats went willingly into the carry cage whilst I cleaned and replenished their cage before returning the cat to it's cage. Some thought it was play time and a game of escape and evade was in order ! The top of the cages was a favourite because it was a couple of feet overhead and awkward for a person to get to !
We then cleaned and tidied the area where the cages were, bearing in mind the public were coming to see the cats during the centre's opening hours.
We also made sure there was a couple of bowls of fresh water and toys and scratching posts and blankets and beds for the cats in the common area. This was because they open the cats' cages at night in the centre so the cats can play with each other if they wish. There's also more clean litter trays for them so they don't have to go back to their own pen to go to the toilet.
This helps to socialise the cats and make them happier, calmer and easier to handle. Useful if a prospective adopter wants to pick up a cat.
We stroked the cats that wanted to be stroked. It was quite heartening that every week there were a few less cats than the previous week i.e. people were coming to adopt the cats.
There would be an influx of cats sometimes but sometimes a local district was at capacity so we were able to help out.
Cats would be quarantined and not put out for adoption until they were well and neutered. Kittens would not be put out for adoption until they were weaned, wormed, neutered etc. The 'nursery' where nursing mums were nursing their kittens in smaller more intimate pens had toys & blankets on the floor of the room so the litters of cats could have supervised play time. All far to cute of course ! They would stay in their litter in an adoption cage, with a blanket in a basket for them all to sleep in if they wanted to. Plenty of toys and adequate food, water and clean litter tray/s.
However, it wouldn't be long before one by one the cat cages were empty again.
Don't worry if one of the cats has a swipe at you or bites you. I've been bitten and scratched by a cat I've owned over the years. (I remember saying to a cat at the centre, 'please take your claws out of my face...now's good.)
The cat's name and circumstances were sometimes on the door of the cage. One time a long haired cat who liked to be brushed was in. When I had replenished it's cage it was still whining. The I thought, ah, I know what he's asking for. So, I got a cat brush and cat comb from the drawer and gently brushed and combed his fur. He calmed down after that. Good I thought. When I returned the next week, he had been adopted. I got a bit of job satisfaction feeling like I was part of that.
Hope you enjoy it !
P.S. A word to the wise: there's nothing a cat likes more than a clean litter tray. There's something about a newly set out litter tray that reminds them that they need the toilet. Apparently it's a well known fact ! The centre manager said, it's like syrup of figs to a cat !