By Mary Ellen Psaltis
I loved Missy with all of my heart. She was part of our family for over 17 years. Our imperial cat was frail but outwardly fine when a serious neurological event occurred and she died. My heart broke, but I wouldn’t trade my time with her for anything. I don’t know who counted but it is estimated that 178.9 million cats and dogs are living as pets in the United States. Each one is dear to someone. This is excellent news for those animals napping near your glowing fireplace or happy to watch TV with you on the couch. Other cats and dogs are not so fortunate, and for a multitude of reasons end up without an owner. In Thurston County some make their way to Joint Animal Services where they get a second chance.
Though I’m not quite ready to get a cat again, another option turned up. Animal fostering satisfies my need for cat love and care without a long-term commitment. My daughter, the program manager at a memory care facility based on Montessori, was fostering kittens at her place of work. Was there a similar possibility here in Thurston County? Yes, there is. It required an extensive application, screening, and attending an orientation. Finally, my house was visited to make sure I had the space. At last, I was approved and I became an official foster parent.
As a cat lover, I elected to be available to foster any cat for any reason. I’m saving dogs for another time. Possibilities include kittens with a mother, kittens without a mother, an animal recovering from surgery or giving an un-adopted cat some time away from the shelter life. Finally, my schedule matched up with the needs of a young male cat. My first foster looked like a miniature ocelot with huge green eyes and petite toes. He had been picked up near an apartment complex. Not surprising, he was skittish and nervously raced around the house. It was also the first day after he had been neutered. I put him in a smaller room, which was helpful. He and I had our ups and downs (marking territory inside my house was not good). But, the second night he was delighted to hop onto the bed and stay there until morning. By the end of the week, I could tell that he was recovering to his full health. He was ready to be available for a permanent home. Did I want to keep him? Absolutely. Was it the right time for me? No. As I drove him back to the shelter, I could feel my heart squeezing as my eyes filled with tears. He would make someone an awesome pet.
Fostering experiences have similar notes for other ‘parents.’ Karen Chartier likes having babies – kittens, that is. She signed onto the program years ago after hearing about the experiences of a co-worker. Chartier enjoyed it so much she transformed her guestroom into a Kitty Nursery. The carpet vanished to be replaced with a hard surface floor, which is superior for cleaning. There’s a contained area for mom and babies that expands to the rest of the room. Using Pinterest she has incorporated toys and climbing spaces. Her experiences have proven that plenty of handling of young kittens makes for socialized, friendly cats. Even though Chartier has a permanent Bengal cat name Tiger Lily, feelings still come up when it’s time to take the cats back to the shelter for adoption. “It’s hard to give them up,” she says but is confident that fostering supports the greater good of the future of these little kitties.
Andrea Robertson is another volunteer who has two dogs of her own. When an opportunity comes up, Robertson packs Charlize, her Lab/Heeler/Black mix and Nicky, a pure breed Boxer into the car. All three get to meet the potential foster dog. If everyone gets along, the entire pack heads to the Robertson household. She loves getting to know the personality of each pet, and she feels helping during this transitional time makes a big difference. I asked her about taking the animal back to the shelter. “Oh, my goodness, it’s hard. I cry and trust.”
Chandra Mincher is the Education and Volunteer Coordinator for the shelter. She began as a volunteer in January 2001. The following December she was hired. Since then she tirelessly organizes volunteers and their many activities, teaches and supports a variety of needs for the office. “We love our volunteers,” Mincher smiles. She has a roster of over 200 volunteers. Office ‘help’ includes two big office cats, Eli and Cal, who quietly make their presence known. I suspect they don’t do much work, but they are excellent morale boosters. Mincher has four cats and a dog at her home, but she also is known to foster animals. Yes, even Chandra told me that, “I cry almost every time I return a foster.” Personally, I was impressed with her availability when I had questions during my first foster experience. She was calm, competent and extremely helpful.
There are many avenues for you to support Animal Services. It’s no surprise that there are always cats and dogs needing full time homes. Since this is not a route for everyone, perhaps fostering appeals to you. Maybe you like giving gifts. The shelter has a wish list with Amazon. This means that you can shop in the comfort of your own home and pick out food or other items that are needed by the shelter – no wrapping required. For a list of items that you can drop off, click here. Highlighted items show greater need. All donations are greatly appreciated.
My foster future? I’m ready. I know one day my sweet foster will become what’s lovingly called a foster failure. This is when the fostered animal captures the hearts of the family and ends up staying rather than going back to the shelter. Such was the case for Andrea Roberson’s dog, Charlize. By the time the dog was nursed through several health issues and ready for adoption, the family decided to keep her. Now that’s a special day for all involved. My cat will come; I’m already picking out names.
