I have done lots of fostering for different local groups in the past, but had taken a hiatus for a bit to deal with both my own issues with cancer and those of my best fur friend, Arthur Pendragon who had SCC of the jaw. I survived my cancer(YAY! 3rd time!) following surgery and treatment going on 2 years now...sadly my best friend did not(I will be making a post about him in the appropriate section) and passed away on 4/22/2014 here at home. He was 3 months shy of his 20th birthday. I was devastated by his loss and had a hole I've seldom felt before. The loss was almost unbearable. Even my other two furry buddies felt it, since Arthur had been their friend and mentor for their entire lives(one is 5 and the other 7) Finally my husband suggested I start fostering again and foster some kittens, since that is my specialty...
I put the word out with several larger organizations after a heartbreaking encounter with a small local "Rescue"(That is also in another post, under reviews) and I am happy to announce that I am now an official foster mom for PAWS Ohio. LOVE! Spent some time in the rain yesterday trying to rescue a mama calico and 5 newborn kitties(born 4/27/14). Mama has been living off the kindness of the residents at this apartment complex in Parma for over 7 years(talked to a lot of people while sitting in the grass in the rain trying to coax mama out of a bush), and every year she has had kittens on the 1st floor balcony of the same apartment and the same couple found homes for the kittens every year(but apparently they never thought to contact anyone about having her spayed)...but now they were leaving. They said they felt sorry for her and that is why they kept feeding her, but she wasn't theirs so they weren't taking her ... but they did do the right thing and call for help when they knew they weren't going to be around to find homes for the babies. They had informed management of the situation, but management only said take them to the APL or euthanize. After all, they have enough to deal with, right?
SOOOOO, they day after I was contacted by PAWS about my post looking to foster(filled out the paperwork the same day!), there I was...In the rain rescuing babies....and doing it happily. I now have 4 out of the five babies but the mom and one baby are still out there somewhere(she grabbed it and ran). We are afraid to set a trap for TNR without knowing where the other baby is, because it will surely die without mama. Tried using the babies as bait...did NOT go well. I keep going back to check and see if she has come back to the balcony with the baby, but the outlook is pretty bleak. However, we are grateful that we were able to save the other 4. Two black males, one orange/white male and one black/white female...most precious little things...here is a video:
Just felt the need to share my excitement and I promise to post more pics as they progress...just have to laugh because I must have looked like some kind of crazy wet homeless woman when I went into Pet Supplies Plus to buy the bottles and formula with my soggy wet jeans and soaked hair....oh well... but CAT PEOPLE UNDERSTAND..don't we? LOL
I put the word out with several larger organizations after a heartbreaking encounter with a small local "Rescue"(That is also in another post, under reviews) and I am happy to announce that I am now an official foster mom for PAWS Ohio. LOVE! Spent some time in the rain yesterday trying to rescue a mama calico and 5 newborn kitties(born 4/27/14). Mama has been living off the kindness of the residents at this apartment complex in Parma for over 7 years(talked to a lot of people while sitting in the grass in the rain trying to coax mama out of a bush), and every year she has had kittens on the 1st floor balcony of the same apartment and the same couple found homes for the kittens every year(but apparently they never thought to contact anyone about having her spayed)...but now they were leaving. They said they felt sorry for her and that is why they kept feeding her, but she wasn't theirs so they weren't taking her ... but they did do the right thing and call for help when they knew they weren't going to be around to find homes for the babies. They had informed management of the situation, but management only said take them to the APL or euthanize. After all, they have enough to deal with, right?
SOOOOO, they day after I was contacted by PAWS about my post looking to foster(filled out the paperwork the same day!), there I was...In the rain rescuing babies....and doing it happily. I now have 4 out of the five babies but the mom and one baby are still out there somewhere(she grabbed it and ran). We are afraid to set a trap for TNR without knowing where the other baby is, because it will surely die without mama. Tried using the babies as bait...did NOT go well. I keep going back to check and see if she has come back to the balcony with the baby, but the outlook is pretty bleak. However, we are grateful that we were able to save the other 4. Two black males, one orange/white male and one black/white female...most precious little things...here is a video:
Just felt the need to share my excitement and I promise to post more pics as they progress...just have to laugh because I must have looked like some kind of crazy wet homeless woman when I went into Pet Supplies Plus to buy the bottles and formula with my soggy wet jeans and soaked hair....oh well... but CAT PEOPLE UNDERSTAND..don't we? LOL
