Foster Failures!

What made this little stray orange kitten, born outside in a remote trailer park in winter, ever think he could have a forever home of his own? How did he even know what a forever home was? What gave him the idea that he or his siblings or his mom could ever have homes of their own with soft warm beds and lots of food and a person who adored everything they did?

Thanks to a long line of caring people, from those in the trailer park who called for help with their overpopulation of cats, to volunteers from Pittsburgh Feral Cat Movement and Frankie’s Friends who organized and raised money for the mobile spay/neuter clinic and found foster homes for as many friendly cats and kittens as possible, little Henry met his match. He had originally been claimed, but his first adoptive home didn’t work out and he was up for grabs. A teenage girl offered to foster but fell for him right away as Henry plied all his feline charms on the impressionable young woman. A few tears later and her mother and father were convinced Henry could stay. Below is Henry today.

There are plenty of ways to fail at fostering a cat or other pet until it finds a forever home. The best way to fail is to discover that you are the forever home and change from foster to guardian! Thanks to everyone who worked to help the cats and residents of the trailer park with spay, neuter, veterinary care, socializing friendly kittens, providing food and shelter and keeping in touch to be sure the situation doesn’t happen again. Photos of Henry in his foster home were provided by his foster failure.

I Am Your Baby?

Another foster failure! Foster, that’s his name, settles into the brand new crib he is certain his person constructed just for him!

I’d featured Foster in December and by then it was pretty clear his foster home was a failure. Foster has a home today, but at just about five weeks old he was rescued from a home where a neighbor had seen his owner put a rubber band around his testicles, sort of a clever home-remedy neuter. This is also known as animal cruelty. The neighbor got the kitten and removed the rubber band and contacted Pittsburgh Feral Cat Movement about rescue and temporary foster. After a flurry of messages on a Facebook post, one person offered to get the kitten in a bad part of a town outside of Pittsburgh, then a series of people would get the kitten to the person who had offered to foster.

It’s almost funny now, especially when he’s so cute and bad and playful, and no permanent damage was done. But it’s a reminder that people do things like this every day and animals suffer for it. Some people are intentionally neglectful, cruel or abusive, others are uninformed or have other ideas of appropriate care for pets. In all cases, we have to find a way to reach them and stop them before they harm or kill an animal.

Henry and Foster are but two lucky kittens who needed rescue and got it thanks to compassionate volunteers who don’t let sub-zero weather or bad neighborhoods stop them from helping cats and kittens. There are so many more who need the same kind of help and all of them are just like Henry and Foster. Help the ones you can, or the organizations who help them, and maybe you’ll become a foster failure yourself!

Photos of Foster and Jack provided by their foster failure.

Thanks everyone for all you do!

Now who else is looking for a home? Browse a few more rescued cats and kittens who’ve been rescued and are waiting to meet you!

Can’t adopt? Foster! Can’t foster? Donate or volunteer.

There are so many ways you can help cats who need homes and care. You may not have room to adopt another cat, but can foster a cat or kitten for a few weeks. If not that, you can volunteer at a shelter or with a rescue, or donate. You do this because you love your cat, and by doing so you help all cats. No matter which of these actions you take, you help to save a life, and make life better for all cats.

• Adopt one of the cats I’ve posted here, or from any shelter or rescue near you, or from Petfinder, to open up a space for another cat to be rescued and fostered.
• Offer to foster cats or kittens for a shelter or rescue near you.
• Volunteer at a shelter or rescue.
• Find a group of volunteers who work with homeless cats and help them with their efforts.
• Donate to a shelter or rescue near you.

If you can foster kittens or adults cats to help prepare them for a forever home, please run to your nearest shelter and find a cat who needs you! Anyone can help with this effort at any level, even if all you do is donate to a shelter or rescue so they can help to pay for the food or medications needed for their foster, or the spay/neuter/veterinary care during a clinic.

Need to know more? Read Fostering for Your Shelter and Fostering Saves Lives

Browse some rescued cats and kittens!

All images used on this site are copyrighted to Bernadette E. Kazmarski unless otherwise noted and may not be used without my written permission. Please ask if you are interested in using one in a print or internet publication. If you are interested in purchasing a print of this image or a product including this image, check my Etsy shop or Fine Art America profile to see if I have it available already. If you don’t find it there, visit Ordering Custom Artwork for more information on a custom greeting card, print or other item.

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