A labor of love

People & Places

This time of year brings back memories of a special experience I had back in 2021. 

During this time, COVID was still in full swing so, like many others, I was at home a lot more. I thought, since I have the opportunity, I am going to give kitten fostering a try — something I had always wanted to do but was never had the availability for.   

Once I was approved to foster through a shelter, I was set up with a litter of four kittens almost immediately. They were so tiny they had barely begun eating solid food. All I knew about them was that they had come in without a momma and were definitely in need of some one-on-one attention and care. 

That night, my boyfriend and I gave them all a bath and settled into this new reality we were going to be living in for the next few months until they weighed 2 pounds or were about 8 to 12 weeks old. Once they hit that point, we were instructed to take them back to the shelter because they would then be old enough to be spayed, neutered and adopted.  

The next few months were a rollercoaster, but we made it through and the kittens were living their best life. They were well fed, had lots of space to explore, had toys galore and had a warm little hutch to sleep in at night. Most importantly, they received plenty of love and, by the end of it, I was confident they would make great companions for whoever was lucky enough to adopt them.  

I got to say though, they helped me as much as I helped them. 2021 was a weird and uncertain time, but taking care of them and enjoying their company gave me something positive to focus on and to look forward to every day. Plus, they kept my mind off other worries and stressors because I was more concerned with these four little lives I was responsible for. 

Before I knew it, mid-December was upon us and the kittens had come of age and had all been spayed and neutered. They needed some additional time to recover, but after that it would be time to return them to the shelter and I found myself not looking forward to that day.  

At that point, I had them for about 2 1/2 months and had spent a lot of time with them. I was able to distinguish their unique personalities and quirks and, of course, had a lot of affection toward them. I knew though that learning to let go is one of the most important lessons fostering has to offer. 

It was one of the first days of January when the time finally came to take them back to the shelter. It was one of the hardest things I’ve done. They trusted me, saw me as their caretaker and it hurt to know I couldn’t explain to them what was happening and why I was suddenly leaving them at this strange place and that I would never see them again.  

I thought I had prepared myself that morning for it, told myself I wouldn’t cry and all that, but that all went out the window the minute I saw my last glance of them before they were whisked away. I cried most of the way home, but I took some comfort in the fact that the employee said they usually get adopted quickly around this time of year.  

On the website, the shelter had a page that showed all the animals in the facility, so for days after I kept track and, like the employee said, the whole litter was adopted within a few days. It’s a no-kill shelter so I knew they would be fine, but I was still relieved to know the kittens didn’t have to wait long before finding their forever home.  

That was the one and only time I fostered because shortly after that I went back to working in-person, full-time and now live in a rental that only allows for my two pets. Knowing what it’s like though, I have the utmost respect and admiration for people who are able to foster regularly because it can be a lot and saying good-bye is never easy.  

Shelters are high-stress environments for animals, so knowing I was able to get them out and give them a much more enriching and calm environment was a great feeling. This not only makes a world of difference for the animals themselves, but also the future owners because they are much more socialized and are less likely to have behavioral issues.  

With that being said, if you are going into 2024 wanting to give something new a try, I highly recommend fostering if you are in a position to do so. There are several rescues around the area you can foster kittens, puppies, cats and dogs through and the Valencia County Animal Shelter can point you in the right direction if you are unsure which ones those are.  

I’m not going to lie and say it’s a walk in the park, because it can be challenging, especially if you have other pets. At the same time, I can honestly say it was one of the most rewarding things I’ve done and I hope someday I can do it again.