Being a foster mom for CAT has been one of the highlights of my life.
Being able to give love and support to the momma cat and the kittens and watch them grow and get socialized and learn to trust people is so rewarding. And of course, whenever we get foster kittens, we suddenly become very popular with family and friends who want to come over and get kitten snuggles. Funny how that works, isn’t it? Ann
Being A Foster Mom Rocks!
I was the foster mom for Jasper, a beautiful blue-eyed, long-haired tabby love bug who refused to eat for almost 6 months! I started out force feeding him in July, went on to tube feeding him in August, and I gotta tell you, I thought he’d NEVER eat! But miracles happen when we least expect them and he slowly began to eat on December 16th! And I got a call about someone wanting to adopt him on December 19th! I told her all about him, but said he was still under medical care. Usually, this is where the potential adopter says, “. . .well, maybe not. . .”! But this wonderful family wanted him right now, tube and all! So he was adopted 2 days later and I got a call that night from his new Mama and she couldn’t stop talking about how much she loved him! And Jasper seems to really love her and her family and his new home. . as we were talking, he was “helping” wrap Christmas Presents and playing with the ribbons and bows, which, by the way, he LOVES! And on Christmas Day, I received a letter from my boy which I’ll include here. Needless to say, this made my day! And I think it’ll do the same for you! Dana G
Dear Dana,
I wanted to wish you a very Merry Christmas and send all kinds of hugs and purrrrrs to all of my old room mates. I am having so much fun at my new house. My people have lots and lots of Christmas ribbons, I just love to chew and pull on them. I now have the run of the whole house and can find my way anyplace. My people have two litter boxes, one on each floor, so I can stay close to the action of the moment and not have an accident. Of course I haven’t had any “accidents” so far and my people are very impressed. Mary fed me a little food in my dish then followed it with more food through my tube for a few days while I got used to this place and all my new people. For the last two days I have been eating only out of my dish! My people give me the “fatten me up” food then some regular moist kitty food, and then some milk, boy do I love the milk. I am always surprised by the water dish! What is the deal with that? It looks like nothing is in there and then I put my nose in it and get all wet...some kind of trick I suppose. This morning I was a big help to Mary, she was typing a letter on the computer and I would sit on her desk purring and purring, occasionally I would get bored and want some more attention so I would very quietly knock stuff off of her desk. This worked great....every time she would stop and talk to me, saying things like “silly boy” and “what did you find?” and then give me a little pet. I really like her, last night I was sleeping when she went to bed and when I got up I found my way to her room (where I had been sleeping at night from the day I got here) and jumped up on her bed to my usual spot (the pillow next to her) and fell fast asleep. I will write later, we have a busy day today; some guy in a big red suite came down our chimney last night and brought MORE ribbons for me! Wow, how did he know I love those things? When my people figure out how to down load all the pictures they have taken of me I will send some to you. Miss you so much and have a very Merry Christmas.
Love, Jasper
PS: My people have not given me a new name yet, Katie (11 yrs) and Ellie (6 yrs), are in charge of that and they are still thinking of a purrrrrfect name.
Just knowing that you are helping save the lives of cats and kittens that might not otherwise have a chance is an awesome feeling to have. There is much work involved in fostering~It requires a lot of love and patience to care for them. It is a commitment that the whole family makes as it takes part of your home and your heart. The love we get back in return cannot be measured. I enjoy fostering in my home also as my children get the opportunity to be a part of the process to help understand the caring for and educating the public about these wonderful pets. My little daughter recently told me that when she gets her own house someday that she wants a really, really BIG house so she can foster lots and lots of cats and kittens.
Thanks for the opportunity to allow us to share our home & love with these awesome cats & kittens.
Patty M & Family
I’ve always loved animals and even as a child, had attempted at rescue efforts to save the mice & birds from cats, cats from dogs, and dogs from cars. As an adult, the rewards of fulfillment are still worth the efforts of taking in helpless animals who are too young, ill, or wounded and nurturing them into healthy pets. Those rewards are magnified ten times over when I am able to find new and loving homes for each of my “babies”. Cat Adoption Team has aided me in being able to make a difference for these animals and in turn, I am helping their efforts to save each cat and kitten for families in the Northwest to welcome into their homes.
Bree L
I love fostering mainly because I love cats and it is fun to have kittens around, but it has become more than that to me over the years. As a single mom, I don’t have time or money to give to the community. Fostering is something charitable I can fit into my hectic life. People always comment on how they couldn’t foster because it is so sad to have to part with the kitties. I get through the hard part of giving them back by reminding myself that although I can’t fix the problem singlehandedly, I am at least doing something to help. It feels good to be part of the solution.
Cindy N
I had a three year old at the time who did very well with my 7 year old cat. We were thinking about maybe getting her a kitten for her 4th birthday, and wanted to know how she would do around a little kitten. We ran into a CAT volunteer at a Petco and she told me about fostering. We first fostered 3 4-week old kittens, and my daughter did pretty good. We never left her alone with them, and she did learn how to be sweet with them. When we took them back to the shelter to go to their new homes, I was concerned that she would be sad, cry, or just be mad. We had discussed it for days, and when the day came she said her good-byes with hugs and kisses, and that was it. She couldn’t wait to get another group. We did not get her a kitten for her Birthday because she decided that it would be more fun to have lots of little friends instead of just one. I do think that it has helped her appreciate the value of a pet, and I hope it will stay with her throughout her life. I have heard friends say that they want their kids to experience the miracle of life - this is the best way, and it is the most responsible way.
Kristi B & Family
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