The weather is warming up, the birds are chirping and hundreds of kittens are being born each day. That’s right, kitten season is here, and we need our community’s help to care for the influx of tiny felines that will be entering our care in the coming months. While reminding yourself and loved ones to avoid kit-napping is a great way to help us keep our kitten capacity under control, another great way to offer support is by fostering.
Life of a Kitten Foster Hero
As an elementary school teacher, Anne Bonderson lovingly spends a lot of time with her tiny human students. But in 2018, she decided she wanted to dedicate her free time at home to caring for furrier, four-legged youngsters. Anne wasted no time in taking the training courses to become a kitten and Bottle Baby Foster Hero, and her home soon became a revolving door of love for tiny felines in need.
“It’s relaxing to have them and just have cuddle time,” said Anne. “There’s something about the babies and the way they just cuddle and want to be held and played with.”
Anne is also fortunate enough to work at a school that encourages her to bring the kittens into the classroom to brighten her students’ days. On these special occasions, Anne’s class gets to see the kittens being fed and cared for, and some of them have even been adopted by her kids’ families!
Anne recalls one special group of kittens that reminded her of why she started fostering them in the first place.
“They were perfect,” Anne said. “Nobody got sick. Nobody had diarrhea. They all grew up so chunky and healthy right away. That was really cool, but it’s also rewarding to have those who are sick or on three different medicines. Seeing their growth and watching them turn into a real cat!”
How You Can Help
Without Foster Heroes like Anne, we simply wouldn’t have the ability to care for the thousands of kittens that enter our care between the spring and fall. Our Foster Heroes expand the walls of our shelter, and there’s no underestimating the power of letting a pet recuperate in a warm, peaceful home.
If you’re interested in temporarily opening your heart and home to purr-fect kittens, you can learn more at azhumane.org/foster. Thank you for helping us care for our tiniest felines!