If you love animals and want a joyful way to do good, the FOTAS Foster Program at the Aiken County Animal Shelter is tailor-made for you. With the 2024 kitten and puppy season in full swing, let’s take a deep dive into the adoption experience.
It’s saying hello, not goodbye
I have been raising shelter cats for 10 years; about 120 kittens and cats have passed through my home on their way to their forever families. When I tell people that I adopt kittens, I see their eyes light up at the prospect of having a litter of kittens in their home to love. But they say, “Oh, I couldn’t adopt because I couldn’t give them up in the end.”
I look at adoption from another angle – I’m showing these babies that they can find love and confidence in being pets. One untamed kitten or one scared cat at a time, I am a good “zen kitty” who will charm her way to a wonderful home for life. By raising beautiful babies and allowing them to go to their forever homes, I can multiply the difference I make for cats. There is nothing like it.
What is involved?
Adopting kittens and cats means keeping them in a home environment while they grow or recover from an injury and can return to the shelter for adoption. What cats and kittens need differs a little. Kittens arrive at the shelter with varying levels of need and maturity. The easiest foster case is actually a complete “cat family” – a caring mother cat and her newborn kittens. Just feed her, give her a safe and quiet place to raise her babies, and the mother cat will do the rest. Other foster families take in litters that were found alone outdoors but are old enough to eat and use the litter box on their own. Fosters who can provide intensive neonatal care for unweaned kittens, so-called “bottle babies,” are worth their weight in gold. These dedicated cat caregivers care for these neediest, nugget-sized kitties, providing intensive care for them. My favorites are the scared adult cats that find their way to the shelter. I give them some good old R and R – a little break from the busy shelter environment – with the hope that they can regain their faith in people and find their next special someone.
Promote support
The shelter provides all necessary supplies, food and veterinary care to fosters during business hours. Feline Adoption Coordinator Hillary Clark-Kulis does an excellent job supporting adopters with problem solving; educate them on how to keep a kitten healthy; and help them identify and treat any potential medical problems. I learned a lot in the FOTAS Foster Program and was able to do a better job assessing the health of kittens as well as my own adult cats.
Cats are rewarding, easy-care pets and there is an adoption style for everyone who wants to experience the joy of putting a kitten or cat on the path to a loving, forever home. I invite anyone interested to try fostering this summer. The shelter has so many kittens in need.
Their lives are in our hands.
