My family has hosted a long list of cats and kittens in our home, without committing to keeping any of them. My children love having these furry little guests; I love that their presence doesn’t last forever; and Hopalong, the Oakland shelter that works to place animals in their “forever homes”, loves that we are willing to help out.
It’s kitten season, and Hopalong is looking for more foster families.
We have had a litter of four kitties so young that they were weaned from their mother on the day they came to us. We kept them in the bathroom for the first day and then in our playroom for the rest of their visit, which was three weeks. They were too small to go up and down the stairs in our house!
We have also hosted some older cats that had been living at Petco, waiting to be adopted, and just needed a break from life at a retail store. My children smothered them with love. Eventually we returned them to the shelter and they have been adopted. Though I am happy for them, my heart does break a little when I think about our fluffy orange fosters, Oola and Zoli, as they were so loved in our home.
If you might enjoy hosting kittens, hop over to the Hopalong website to learn more. The shelter will supply you with food, litter, and information. You just supply the love and affection. Oh, and kitty litter maintenance. This volunteer gig is ideal for someone who has no animals, because the foster kitties will need to be kept separate from any pets in your home.
My kids – normally deprived of having pets – stay so busy playing with the kittens that I let them skip a day of camp and they were totally occupied for the entire day. I do recommend getting one per child so that they can each hold one at the same time.
For more info: See hopalong.org to find out about cats and dogs in need of foster care in Oakland.
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