Fostering Friendship

Brought the kittens to their foster home Saturday, and then went back to check on them today. They all seem to be doing well, and the family wasn’t overwhelmed (as I worried they might be). These kittens need more play and affection than we have time to give. I remembered that one of my elementary school English students and her mother are always very kind to the feral that lives outside my school, so I decided to ask if they would be interested in fostering kittens until they go to their new homes in Tokyo. They said yes, and were quick learners of bottle feeding and all of the other kitten care issues. They set up Kitten Care Central in my student’s bedroom, and since she’s on break from school for the next three days, she’s got lots of time to spend with them. But I watched the whole family take care of the kittens, so I can see that it’s really a group effort. It will be great if they can do this again, from time to time, as it’s made a big difference in our busy schedule already. With several people stopping by tomorrow, we’re in preparation mode (and me with my wrenched ankle!) The extra time means we may be able to get a little extra rest before the train rolls in tomorrow morning. More pictures from the foster family…

Later in the afternoon, a volunteer and I visited a woman needing help feeding her 6 cats, in these tough economic times. She had thought she might have to surrender them to animal control, but we were able to offer to bring plenty of cat food by and promised to keep her in a steady supply. The cats gathered around the big bag of food (probably more interested in the shelter smells on the bag!), and we could see that they had been well cared for. This woman has spayed and neutered 55 cats in her area, over the years, and we are happy that we can help her now, when she needs it most.