Annually, Cat Adoption Team (CAT) cares for more than 800 kittens and cats through our foster program to prepare them for adoption. We caught up with some of our current foster volunteers to find out what it’s like for them to foster with our organization). Read on to see what Susan and Veronica shared with us:
CAT: How long have you been involved in fostering with CAT?
Susan C.: I have been fostering since 2011.
Veronica B.: We’ve been fostering with CAT since October 2024!
CAT: What inspired you to start your foster journey?
Susan C.: In 2011, a neighbor did not spay his cat Gracie, and she got pregnant— again. I asked him to surrender her to us, and my husband (an adoption counselor at CAT at the time) would get them into the foster system and get them and Gracie adopted. In return, he agreed to make a nice donation when the kittens all found homes. When the kittens were adopted, I held him to the agreement, and he made a $250 donation to CAT. John and I were hooked, and fostered many pregnant kittens and neonates until 2016, when we left the area to go RVing. In 2017, I returned to SW Portland alone and resumed fostering. My two current cats— Beej and Lady— are foster fails.
Veronica B.: We have a very sweet, shy cat at home who doesn’t like it when we leave. We wanted to start introducing her to other cats in the hopes that she would click with one and we could expand our pet family, but we ended up falling in love with the fostering process!
CAT: Why do you continue to foster for CAT?
Susan C.: My fostering now is primarily socialization. I love meeting and working with the variety of cat personalities and seeing the evolution from a scaredy cat to one that has realized that people aren’t so bad after all.
Veronica B.: To be a part of the transition for these cats just repairs something in your soul. Often the adult cats we receive are very scared or shy, or are having medical concerns, so to be part of the care team that helps them heal, come out of their shell, and find their new family is just so special. We are so privileged to see their personalities bloom and to know that we were instrumental in that.
CAT: Do you have a meow-morable fostering experience you’d like to share?
Susan C.: My favorite of all time was 1-year-old Mochi in spring of 2022. He had sustained a broken leg and came to CAT after being threatened with euthanasia. His leg was set by Dr. Brown and dressed with a soft cast. He lived in my “cat room” in a large dog kennel for two months while healing, with biweekly trips to CAT for checkups and bandage changes. He was the most loving foster I have ever had. His goal daily was to get as much lap time as possible. When he was physically available to be adopted, I brought him back to CAT, where he was adopted the very next morning!
Veronica B.: We had a senior cat named Drogo who came to us in our first few months fostering. He had been doing poorly in the shelter, refusing to eat, low-energy, and he had the manner of having given up. We administered fluids, medicine, and even had to have a member of CAT staff show us how to syringe feed him, and we were worried he was going to have to return to the vet for more intensive treatment. The last day before Drogo would have had to have a feeding tube put in, my partner and I checked on him to see if he had made any changes and found that he had eaten, of his own choice, much of the food that we had left out for him. We both cried from relief and happiness. After that, he started eating regularly, came off the fluids and medication, and began seeking out play and affection. That early success, and how hard we had worked for it, really made a mark on us.
CAT: What advice would you offer to somebody considering fostering?
Susan C.: Understand that “letting go is the goal”. We are giving every kitty that comes through our doors another chance at a wonderful life, and seeing them go to a new home always brings tears to my eyes. I know – my cats are foster fails. In 2018, Beej was my first socialization cat and it was obvious that he was so traumatized that he would never do well in a kennel at CAT (we did not have the adopt from foster program at that time). My heart broke seeing him being so scared. So I adopted him. He became a loving companion, but a year later, when he met Lady, a mom cat who came to me with 5 tiny kittens, he let me know he wanted her to stay. So she joined us. She and Beej quickly bonded.
Veronica B.: If you’re going to use a bedroom, get a waterproof mattress cover and put the mattress on the floor! We made the mistake early on of thinking we could leave the bedframe up since it was tall and we could crawl under it easily. Let me tell you, even if it’s a tall frame, actually getting hold of a cat and bringing them back out of there with you is way more work than you need to put yourself through. But on a serious note, fostering is one of the most fulfilling things I’ve ever done, and I am so grateful to the CAT team.
CAT: Is there anything else you would like to share?
Veronica B.: CAT has been the most incredible organization to volunteer for. I have made some wonderful connections and they truly live for cats. The amount of individualized attention and care they are able to provide to each animal that comes into their shelter is because of their wonderful network of staff, volunteers, fosters, and donors. The support, the advice and the encouragement they’ve given me over the years is no small factor in why we’ve had such a fantastic fostering journey. Please, consider becoming a volunteer or regular donor. CAT is the best at what they do because of the community around them.
CAT: Shameless social media foster account plug in 3, 2, 1:
Veronica B.: You can follow BeattyFosterFriends on instagram to see our current and past fosters!
Like what you read? See Part 2., for more exciting foster behind-the-scenes moments.
