Welcome! If you’re part of a cat rescue, you know that every contact has the power to change a life but sometimes starting, especially with social media, is the hard part.
So, I thought it might help to have some simple ideas and tips to help especially for those who have no cue about where to start using social media or taking first steps with confidence.
I hope at least some of the tips might help you amplify your rescue voice and get those precious rescues into the safe and loving forever homes they deserve. [Revised May 2026]
For even the smallest cat rescue social media can maximise adoptions and ensure the local community knows that you actually exist.
Here’s an outline of the easiest way to start, then I will dig a little deeper into how you can make it happen. Ready? Let’s do this.
| Pick ONE Platform | Better to be great at one than invisible on five. |
| The “Golden” Photo | Clear, eye-level photos stop the scroll. |
| The Link | Always tell them where to apply or donate. |
| The “Share” | Ask followers to be “Digital Fosters” by sharing. |
The key thing is to remain in control of what comes in, as well as what goes out. At the moment rescues are overwhelmed and some shelters just euthanise cats because they believe them to be too much bother to post online.
Social Media A Rescue Essential
It’s easy to become stressed by the responsibility for social media and, even seasoned professionals reach ‘full’ from time to time. Social media is simply another marketing tool to add to your adoption and promotion armoury that can, I hope, help you get more cats into loving lifetime homes.
Pick One Channel
Each channel reaches a different audience. See where your followers or supporters hang out most. Ask them where they hang out online. One channel allows you to say in control and not be overwhelmed.
- Facebook – especially local groups. Make sure your link is in your bio.
- Instagram – Simple ‘Reels’ generate a lot of interest. Make sure your link is in your bio here too.
Avoid Telegram as this hosts animal harming videos. Their encryption is so strong that offenders cannot be tracked and prosecuted unfortunately.
This prize winner was taken on an iPhone!
The ‘Golden” Photo
You do not have to be an expert photographer to take good photos. No, you don’t. It may take a bit of practice to nail a great shot but even the experts take bum shots. (Yes, they do).
- Taking photos near a window (natural light) and at the cat’s eye level makes a cool photo much easier. A blurry cat in a dark room is a harder “sell” than a bright, clear face.
In 2026, many people are weary of AI-generated images. Use real photos of your real cats. Authenticity touches hearts; perfection is overrated.
Smartphone Photo Tips for Everyone
The Important Link
Always ensure your rescue link visible. Your golden photo might touch someone’s heart, prompting them to donate so make that link easy to see.
As your social media develops you might use Linktree which allows you to share multiple links in one place.
The Important “Share”
The concept of followers being ‘digital fosters’ is charming and will appeal to people. Even those with little or no money to donate can share with a happy heart. ‘Sharing is Caring’ can get a cat into a home.
- Remember to add a link to an adoption you are promoting
- Tag your location. Often a hashtag #Wellington #LondonSE10 #NewYork
- Call to Action – ask followers to share
Respond to comments and shares – people love to be thanked. It also helps you get seen because it shows that your presence is active and busy.
OK now the basics are clear and sharp in your mind, I know you will have a lot of questions, the loudest of which is…
If you don’t like working with social media?
Recruit a volunteer to help. Someone, young or adult, with a conscience who wants to help. A skilled internet user with time on their hands.
How do you decide what to post?
- News on your Rescue
- Senior spotlights
- Emergency appeals
- New arrivals
- Senior and adult cats
- Progress and updates on rescue cats
Every rescue needs inspiration and ideas and you might worry about running out of ideas! So, keep your eyes open and if you see an idea you, take a screenshot and use it as the basis for a post or graphic you can build for free in Canva the design site that is easy to use.
The idea is that local groups and friends especially on Facebook and Instagram are looked at as easy touch points (where you are more easily seen). Facebook often encourages rescues to pay for higher profile visibility so you need to widen your audience you may have to balance visibility with your cashflow. You can do plenty of work for free supported by shares when you start.
Recruit a social media savvy person to your rescue
- It could be the silver surfer flaunting their iPad
- A school kid, texting like crazy between emptying litter trays
- Your rescue rabbit or senior cat expert
Use their knowledge to help you set up the page on Facebook, or a blog, and make sure the Rescue provides pictures. Remember, we live in a world of images – they don’t have to be perfect, they have to be there.
Do some homework on ‘how a Facebook page is set up” and why.
Social Media Ideas
If your rescue is not online at all but you think it should be, start by introducing those who head your rescue to main players like ‘free’ social media channels like Facebook, or Instagram.
Organise Your Rescue ID
If you work with a group, present a case for a basic presence on one (or two, at most) main channels. Describe simply and clearly the potential to encourage adoptions and spread news through, say, a Facebook page or Blue Sky shares. You may want to experiment and find the best social mediaworks best for cat rescues. This may depend on your location so explore all of your options.
A Blog Presence
A simple blog would also shows the cats waiting for adoption, but remember rescues often have a limited budget, so you may be asked to see what you can do for ‘free’.
A platform like Blogger is free and can be a positive presence so don’t dismiss it. A blog is an introduction, a showcase, but it does not have to be constantly updated once it is set up. Can it work for you?
If anyone starts saying you need to be with Wix, Squarespace or GoDaddy or whoever, ask them to pay for it .
The Local Press
Remember too that your local newspaper will have an online presence and maybe still a printed presence. They might welcome a short sweet press release about a touching story.
Encourage every visitor who visits you online to share your rescue’s posts
Post each day if you can, but if you need to limit activity while you get going, try three times a week. Remember a Page can schedule posts, they do not need to be done live. Include your rescue’s Biography and any national charitable accreditation. Also include a mention if donations are tax deductible.
Update adoptions, introduce new arrivals, or report the progress of an appeal; get members talking and emotionally engaged. Be careful sharing stories that might distress, you need to get them out there but try to add a ‘Trigger’ warning as a courtesy.
Balance your output too – be honest, rescues have good and bad times. You can also use your social media to share tips on important subjects like :
- living with a cat for the first time
- bringing a new kitten home to another cat
- telling a first time cat owner what to buy
- or moving cats to a new home
- or helping a worried owner when a cat is not eating and hiding under a bed
- bringing home a foster cat
Cat care and welfare engagement can encourage people to make sure their cat gets proper vet care and a cat isn’t dumped after adoption. This can happen and it is wrong, so being approachable and compassionate (although it can be a challenge). Your social media might form a bridge to a desperate owner can get in touch about coping (or not) with a cat issue.
You challenge may be finding a dedicated team for regular updates
How you handle updates is important. Even a sketched out social media calendar on a whiteboard or smartphone helps you keep track.
You will need a volunteer to maintain a web presence on your social media. The tasks will not be hard work if you pace yourself.
Budget a small amount of time each day for social media and you will find it helpful for your own cat rescue or foster network. Stick to this – do not let social media overwhelm you – it is a tool not your master.
Summary
I hope that I have been able to give you some ideas if you need to get started. My last learning tip is to look at the rescues already on Facebook or Instagram. Not at their number of fans or followers but at how they work. They are an inspiration as they share their successes, their struggles and, importantly, how they cope with the occasional negative comment.
Wonderful post! And, your suggestions can also be for dog, or any rescues, too. Social media is a such a help for them, and it’s a great to show volunteers there are many different ways they can help rescues! And these days, rescues are so maxed out that they sure can use all the help they can get to get these darling homeless pets visible and hopefully into forever loving homes.
Yes, we need ALL pets to be remembered!
This post is Fantastic!! So many important points and great tips for getting started and maintaining an online presence. Pet rescues Must be on social media, if not they’ll get passed over all the time. People need to get to know, like, and trust a pet rescue before they’ll trust you to adopt a pet to them. Social media can really help you gain that, if you do it correctly.
Fantastic advice especially when you see how rescues are struggling and social media messes with them today, it is really sad. we need to speak out to help clear the shelters
Great advice for a rescue! I LOVE the idea of having a volunteer do social posts. Some people thoroughly love social media and that would be an absolutely wonderful way to help these little furballs in need. I don’t know how many times I’ve heard someone say they don’t know how to help, or don’t have the skills, yet they’re posting on social media all the time. Great, no EXCELLENT idea, Marjorie! I hope all rescues take your tips and ideas to heart. I’m certainly spreading the word.
Great information and great advice ! Social medias may sound like a big thing, but it’s so useful for shelters and rescues. Purrs
This is an awesome post. Much needed and comprehensive advice! Thanks for sharing, and we have shared it too….
Such helpful information! We have three volunteer blogs about the animals at PAWS (2 cat blogs, 1 for dogs), a Facebook page and a Twitter account. It really is about getting your name and message “out there,” and we are certainly trying. 🙂
So very true! Our mom and Sebastian’s and Harvey Monster’s mom volunteer in social media for our shelter.
We’d add youtube to your list, too. We’ve found that if we add a video of a cat up for adoption, that helps potential adopters “see” the cat’s personality and helps to sell them – sometimes even better than when in person!
You can’t teach an old dog new tricks. TW wanted to set up FB for A Call 4 Paws almost 2 years ago but couldn’t get Linda to send her pictures. I notice she has one now but it’s really not about the sanctuary or her adoptable pets. Sigh. We can’t do it without their cooperation.
That was absolutely wonderful and most useful too!
These are wonderful tips. The smaller the shelter the more help they need. Sometimes those larger shelters can drown out the smaller ones on a social media platform like Facebook or Twitter.
Wonderful post and the tips are great Miranda!
Miranda , this is sooooo impawtant! My little rescue doesn’t us their FB effectively at all…sigh. Several of is have offered, but the director refuses to give any of us admin rights…she holds posting for her and the adoption director. Very poor planning
This is an excellent post, Miranda (and YOU are gorgeous!) I will see if I can share it too. xox
Thanks for the great tips. We are motivated to reach out to our local rescue again with offers to do social media for them.
This is great and I passed it on!
Such great information. So many rescues are focused on the welfare of animals but miss out on this critical way of reaching potential adopters.
This is such a good post with such good advice which I need to follow. I really need to get going on Twitter. I have a bunch of animals that need homes. Thanks for this little push to get me going. Take care.
What a great post! Great information for rescues to get the word out!!
This is a really informative post! And it IS so important for small rescues to be social media savvy. It really helps their animals get noticed – and adopted.