Sunday, April 10, 2011

Foray Into Fostering

It was almost certainly inevitable, though I fought it for a long time.  My reason for not wanting to foster was mostly because I didn't feel that I could handle giving them up when the time came.  I think that's a truly valid concern - it WILL be hard.  But it's for a good cause.  Reading some of your blogs has helped me realize that I will survive turning "my" cats over to someone else, and it will free my home up to be used for another needy foster.

I've been circling the idea of fostering cats, in some way or another, for a few months now.  I had accepted that it was a matter of WHEN, not IF.  I had originally thought that our first foster experience would be kittens, to help with kitten season.

I was wrong.

Friday night, I learned that there were six cats in need of a foster home.

No, I did not take all six.  But after a long discussion on how we can make it work, we decided that we could pull it off.   After a couple of emails and a phone call yesterday, I agreed to go in around lunch time today to take two of them.

Mitchell

They're both great cats, and are already making good progress in adjusting to their new temporary home.    Granted, I have made it really easy for them...  they each have their own litter box, their own sets of food and water dishes, a brand new scratching post and one of those cardboard scratcher things, new toys, and several choices for soft places to sleep.  Yeah, I was overly excited about it this morning.  It may have been overkill to clean and air out a room to please two cats, or perhaps to go to the store and buy them all of that stuff, but it made me happy to feel like I was prepared for them.

It seems that Mitchell, so far, has staked his claim on the bed, and Patches likes the soft fuzzy blanket stretched across the radiator cover in front of the window.  Both purr and make kneading motions with their paws when one or both of us go in to see how they're doing.   Patches keeps bumping his nose against mine, and Mitchell has already snuggled up against me, using my arm as a pillow, purring like a madman.

OK, Patches does spend some time on the bed too.


It's going to be an interesting and fun summer, boys!

10 comments:

  1. Rock On! Me wishes you the best! Yous going to have lots of fun!
    Nellie

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  2. Awesome that you are fostering! :)

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  3. I miss fostering, and I know that one day we'll do it again! I hope you have lots of fun with it! :)

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  4. I am proud of you for fostering!!! I use to foster cats too years ago. I loved to do it and miss not doing it, but for us $$ is just too tight right now!
    Good luck!!
    xx, Fern

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  5. Fosters are walking saints! You have two really nice boys - I just hope you are able to take them back when the time comes. It's gonna hurt - I keep telling myself that human beings created this pet overpopulation problem and fostering is one of the small sacrifices we make for them. But it still hurts!

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  6. On Jan. the first 1998 Happy just walked up to the house. Tom was working in the yard. She walked right up and said Hi to him. He came in the house and said look what just walked up?? I went out to meet her. She has been with us ever since. That was 13 years ago and 4 months and 11 days. We took her to the vets and found out she was spayed but she had had many litters before she was fixed. He said she was somewhere around 5 and 7 years old. She is pure delight to have around!! We are going to be heartbroken when it is her time to go as we are when it is Bambi's time to go. They both are past their life expectancy!!!
    xx, Bambi & Fern

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  7. Good for you!! These boys are very lucky to have found your house. It can be hard to give them up - especially the first time. But knowing they have a second chance and you were part of that is HUGE!!

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  8. I really admire anybody who fosters, be it dogs or cats. It's especially admirable in this case where the cats have to be kept separate from your other cats. Well done. I hope everything continues to go smoothly for you:)

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  9. Well I didn't do well at all with the fostering. I have fostered one cat since I have 16 others, so really didn't have room. But this one was going to be put down, so I made room. Well of course she is staying here.
    Glad you are trying the fostering and just remember when you want to keep them, that another cat needs a foster home too.
    Thanks for doing the fostering.

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  10. I'm glad you've decided to start fostering. It's a very good idea, even if you will get attached to the animals.

    I think the two new cats are doing great already, really warming up to you. Congrats on a job well done!

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