Choco has been a wonderful addition to our family, and adopting her didn’t make us quit the fostering game at all.
Stephanie & Scott B (foster/adopter) and Choco
Like most of us, when Covid lockdowns were in full swing, I started looking for projects around the house. There sat our unused guest bedroom, purposeless. It bugged me. I thought and thought about what I could transform the room into, and I could think of nothing more meaningful than fostering cats/kittens. My husband, just as much an animal-lover, agreed to foster with one stipulation – we couldn’t adopt. We already had two cats and a dog. I eagerly agreed. We moved the guest bed out and made the space more cat-friendly that very night.
I was familiar with KKHR through a friend who had helped us when we found and rescued a kitten from a car engine. I applied and was approved as a foster, and in came a mom with her three 5-week-old kittens. I was in kitty heaven! Before long, it was time for mom to be spayed and her kittens to start attending adoption events. Two of the kittens were happily adopted together, then the retired mama cat found her match too. We were down to just one kitten, a tuxedo girl named Chococat. KKHR had planned a “black tie” adoption event to feature black and tuxedo cats. I bought Choco a bowtie for the occasion. All the while, my husband had been growing more attached to her. He was struggling with wanting to keep her, but not wanting to immediately break his own fostering rule. I assured him I was fine either way – it was his rule, after all – as long as we could keep fostering. Undecided, I took Choco to the black tie adoption event. My husband showed up to the event to adopt Choco!
Choco has been a wonderful addition to our family, and foster failing didn’t make us quit the fostering game at all. In fact, we have continued to foster over 100 cats/kittens, only foster failing once more along the way. I hear so often from people who say they couldn’t foster because the goodbyes would be too hard. Sometimes, they are. More often than not, though, you get to see your foster kitty connect with a family who adores them, and you say your goodbyes and get ready for the next kitties who need fostering. Honestly, since my husband foster failed Choco (and I foster failed Phoebe), it has made any temptation to foster fail easier . We are solidly maxed out on adopting, but we get to continue to stay involved in rescue by fostering. A lot has changed since we first started fostering in June of 2020 – the biggest of which has been the addition of our daughter. Having a baby meant we didn’t have a dedicated fostering room anymore, but we figured out other spaces in our home that could be used to temporarily house kitties. When you volunteer in animal rescue, you see the alternative to not fostering – I can’t ever imagine a time when I won’t be involved in fostering. It isn’t always easy, but it IS always worthwhile.
Ready to make an impact?
Foster: Fostering a kitten, teenager, or adult cat can be one of the most rewarding things you ever do.
Volunteer: Lend a helping hand at a local shelter or rescue organization.
Adopt: Open your heart and home to a furry friend in need.