In the wake of our house fire, I missed my kittens SO much. And I say “my kittens” very broadly, because of course all the babies we saved were foster kittens, and not my own personal cats, but still.
I ached for babies, for the comfort of a small warm purring body.
I’ve been fostering for rescues since 2017, when my own cat Alice accidentally got pregnant before I could desex her. My vet and rescue friends were SO MAD at me, and I was so mad at myself, and I actively wanted to help with a problem I was also part of.
So I reached out to Grace at Illoura Animal Refuge and asked how I could help.
Cue a fairly steady stream of kittens and cats ever since.
*****
It’s June. Kitten season, theoretically, runs through Spring and Summer, supposedly tapering off as it gets colder. And yet, every day, every week I see people in community groups asking for help for stray kittens, kittens found in back yards, dumped kittens at playgrounds, heavily pregnant mamas.
And inevitably, they reach out to rescues (amazing!) and some kittens are taken in, and others aren’t, because we can’t save everyone.
People want to help, but they get SO ANGRY when rescues say “Are the kittens in life threatening danger right this second? Then no. I’m so sorry, but we can’t. We’re full.”
They get SO angry when the accredited cat management facility, 10 Lives, asks for donations or surrender fees. They get SO mad when a rescuer or volunteer can’t drop everything immediately and race to save the newest batch of younglings.
But here’s the thing – and remember, I’m just a foster carer. I don’t run the rescues, or have to play kitten tetris to find everyone space – YOU HAVE TO HELP TOO.
People, with the best interests at heart, think their “helping”, starts and stops at contacting a rescue.
But rescues – particularly the smaller rescues I am often affiliated with – rescues run on volunteers, and donations. No one is getting paid, not even the people doing the bulk of the work.
And there aren’t enough quarantine spaces, rescue bays, crates, foster homes, and humans, to save every single cat on every single community page.
God, I wish it were different. I wish we could swoop in and save every kitten, every teenager, and every perpetually pregnant mama. I WISH we could trap-neuter-release all the angry manky tom cats (who are actually doing huge work keeping the city and suburban rats and mice down, I will die on this hill). I would absolutely take in every single kitten if I could.
But we cannot, not without the help of community. And that means showing up for the kittens you want to help, in a tangible way.
*****
The thing I hear the most, when I chat about foster – either online or in person – is: “I couldn’t do that, I’d want to keep them all!”
And maybe you would! Maybe that’s how you find your best heart perfect cat! MAYBE that’s what you’re MEANT to do.
But god knows, we need more foster carers. We need SO many more people willing to just try, to see if it works for them, to see if their heart can swell three sizes to hold more love.
We need more people. Boots on the ground, carriers in their hearts, because even if you fall in love, more love is never a bad thing.
Currently I’m fostering for Rescue Cats Safe Haven in Penna, which is located between Midway Point and Richmond. And the biggest barriers to helping more cats are, human resources, and cat food.
Everything else can be worked around, but the shelter needs more volunteers, and more foster carers. It’s the only way they can operate as a true No-Kill shelter. No Kill means they’re not euthanising for space constraints, and that they’re keeping 90+ permanent feral residents in their sanctuary, because Tas laws mean they can’t be released, and they’re not suitable for indoor homes.
It’s a balancing act, juggling reliable volunteers, food bills, vet bills, and space. And so many people here in Tassie are doing SUCH an amazing job at it.
*****
There are so many things you can do to help rescues in your area.
Maybe you could volunteer regularly. Apply to foster! Donate money, or donate cat food.
If you’re not in a position to do those things, then share social media pages when we’re looking for homes for kittens. Tell your friends about adorable adult cats who have finished raising babies and want a couch to sleep on forever.
And the NUMBER ONE thing you could do which would lead to fewer kittens having to stay outdoors in the cold?
Desex your cats. Even if they’re boys.
If you’ve got a stray cat you’re feeding, fantastic, that’s your cat now. Desex it. If you’re feeding them, FIX them.
Desexing makes cats so much happier, and healthier. And then there are fewer emergency kittens in need of rescue. Everyone wins.
Turns out, I have A LOT OF FEELINGS today.
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