-Guest post by Naomi L., adopter and foster parent
Our family has always loved animals, and when we were ready to adopt two kittens, we turned to Cat Adoption Team, a fabulous shelter nearby. We found a pair that fit our household, and they became part of our family immediately. We never thought that adopting from CAT would change our lives so much and give our daughters such incredible opportunities.
From the day these kittens came home from the shelter, our daughters knew that they had a responsibility to care and love for these babies, and they would get it back. The girls grew up with feline best friends and learned about boundaries, trust, and unconditional love.
With a huge change in the world and in our lives thanks to COVID, we were home and had the time, energy, and space for welcoming foster cats. After going through training, we were officially in the coolest club ever. We were a foster family, and our lives haven’t been the same since.
We have fostered all types of cats over the past three years. Moms with tiny babies, adults who were sick, bonded pairs who were shy, and everything in between. Our hearts grew and made room for every feline that came to us. We helped them get ready for their forever home—and this was where my daughters were able to shine.
My girls put 100% of their heart and soul into every single cat that comes through our home. They sit and do their homework with the shy ones, tell jokes or read aloud to the new moms, and play with the babies who are learning what toys are. And every time, we give them away.
People often ask me, isn’t that hard? That you put so much into this animal that’s not even yours? “It’s hard,” I say, “but it’s going to be someone else’s cat. And the work we do now makes it even better for the family that adopts them.”
It’s not easy for 12 and 13-year-olds to say “I’m making a big difference” on a regular basis, but my two are, and it shows. It shows in the cats and kittens who go to their new homes, and the photos we get of them living their best lives from their new families. And I know we were a part of it.
An orange tabby kitten is parading down my hallway right now, hanging out with my resident cat Charlie, who we adopted 7 years ago from CAT. The kitten is our 70th foster we have had, and came to us as a socialization kitty. When he came to us he was still shy and was working on being more comfortable around people. This morning he was snugging with my eldest girl, who wasn’t feeling well. He will be going to his future home within the next week. I’ll miss him, but I loved that he was here, part of our Foster Family, while he needed us. And perhaps we needed him, too.
To learn more about Naomi, check out this post from last year’s Meet the People series.
