I think that fostering kittens is the best thing that we could have done for ourselves this winter.
Since the beginning of November, we've taken in 15 kittens and found forever homes for 11 of them. The newest litter of 4 just came to us yesterday and I'm sitting in our spare room, getting them used to me and trying to build their trust.
The foster program we're going through pays for their vet bills, food and litter, so there's no upfront costs to us (vital while we're getting our finances in order). All we have to do is love them, care for them, and help socialize them before they go off to their new homes. We've increased our adoption success rate by posting millions of adorable pictures of them on social media and putting up ads on Kijiji.
The love we're getting back from these kittens and the pride from rehoming so many of them has done wonders for our self-confidence and stress levels. We had such a rough fall with financial issues and homophobia, that we were really shaken. (Although the finances are getting right back on track - more proof of our privilege of being broke but not poor).
If any of my readers have the space and health and time (and inclination, for that matter) to foster animals, I highly recommend it. It's not a magic cureall, and there certainly is the heartbreak of letting go and of sometimes losing animals whose health is fragile. But, gosh, it can be so rewarding.
Since the beginning of November, we've taken in 15 kittens and found forever homes for 11 of them. The newest litter of 4 just came to us yesterday and I'm sitting in our spare room, getting them used to me and trying to build their trust.
The foster program we're going through pays for their vet bills, food and litter, so there's no upfront costs to us (vital while we're getting our finances in order). All we have to do is love them, care for them, and help socialize them before they go off to their new homes. We've increased our adoption success rate by posting millions of adorable pictures of them on social media and putting up ads on Kijiji.
The love we're getting back from these kittens and the pride from rehoming so many of them has done wonders for our self-confidence and stress levels. We had such a rough fall with financial issues and homophobia, that we were really shaken. (Although the finances are getting right back on track - more proof of our privilege of being broke but not poor).
If any of my readers have the space and health and time (and inclination, for that matter) to foster animals, I highly recommend it. It's not a magic cureall, and there certainly is the heartbreak of letting go and of sometimes losing animals whose health is fragile. But, gosh, it can be so rewarding.
Kijiji? I suppose Chief Wiggum from "The Simpsons" was wrong to praise the word "hijinx" for having a lot of successive dots ........
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