Foster moms.. how'd ya know they're keepers?

[catnapper]

I was laughing today because hubby was singing the Trix cereal song to Trixie... that song was when I KNEW she was a keeper: "Raspberry red, lemony yellow, orangy orange...." When hubby starts singing songs to the kitties, they're not going anywhere! So, yeah, Trixie if officially in her forever home

With Abby, she was a strange one. I swore she hated me. She was such a hissy little brat. A dear friend called her a "screaming mee-mee" (very accurate, Jen Luckenbach!) but something about how she looked at me, and how she trusted me, made ME decide to keep her. Hubby had nothin' to do with her staying. I seem to recall CRYING when I went to drop her off at adoption events.

However, HE decided Harry was staying. Harry even got adopted. Hubby jumped for joy when the adoption fell through. He said he wasn't going to go to another adoption event.

Flutter wrapped her little paw around my heart the first day she came into my house. I panicked every time someone put in a request for her... I was CERTAIN nobody could accomodate her special-ness like I could. Hubby announced she wasn't leaving when she trusted him enough to let him hold her.

So, foster moms, when did you decide your fosters would take the leap from simply being a foster to being a permanent member of the family?

[jenluckenbach]

I think I'll start the the disclamer: Even though this is going to sound like a WHOLE LOT of failures, remember, I still have a better track record than catnapper at letting them GO!

BONNIE: She was semi feral and quite scared when I got her. but after her babies left she was adopted, and I was very happy. But the people returned her almost right away. I feared that she lost ALL the trust I taught her... but she came back here like it was her home, all relaxed and comfy, so I knew I could not let her go through another bad adoption. That was 6 years ago today (Aug 7,2003)! She was my first official foster fro One by One.

MICKEY: He came to me at 5 weeks of age, a little spitfire. But he adored me, and I him. Even though he went to countless adoption days, he was never taken. (That could be due to the fact that he bit everyone he could . but me) At the age of 7 months an application came in on him and I cried like a baby. I knew he'd have to stay.

SHILO: I requested Shilo from another rescue that needed help. His photo "spoke" to me. He fit right in here with my other cats. He had 3 visits from prospective adpoters, each time is was "SURE" he'd be taken! After all, he was perfect. But each time there was the same comment/sentiment..."HE ONLY HAS EYES FOR YOU"!

HAMLET: He was another cat who just "fit in" like it was meant to be. I had just lost my dearest Lucas when I decided to keep Hamlet. I knew Hamlet could easily be adopted, but decided "why should everyone else get the GOOD ones???"

SIMBA: He was a foster that I fell head over heals for. I LOVED him. But he got adopted, and I was happy. When they no longer wanted him and he was returned to me I knew the old saying was true "IF YOU LOVE SOMETHING, LET IT GO. IF IT COMES BACK, IT'S YOURS"

MR MEOW: He was a foster that I was NEVER suppose to have!! I was the transport, but was asked to keep him over night. The rest is history. While I always had every intention of getting him well and then adopted, it was always a matter of....WHO CAN TAKE CARE OF HIM PROPERLY AFTER ALL MY HARD WORK????

NATASHA: I just decided that I liked her. She fit in well with the cats. Honestly, no one ever applied or even asked about her, and she has some quirks that would turn off a lot of people. So I treated myself.

So there you have it, 7 foster failures (during the time I was actually part of a rescue effort). But scores of other foster cats who WERE adopted!!

Bear (who Pet Talk never got to meet), Lucas and Biddy were all suppose to be temporary, but they just never left.

[Freedom]

I should probably say something like, "I refuse to answer on the grounds that I may incriminate myself."

Ebony: my first foster. Trapped at just under a year old, and pregnant. She was in another home for recovery for 3 weeks and then arrived here. I phoned to adopt her after 29 minutes. A record which still stands, 2 years later. Ebony was so self contained, at that time she must have had quite a full internal life, because she certainly had no concerns with her surroundings, human, animal or physical.

Bobby: a sickly little kitten I trapped, about 4 months ol but extremely underweight and ill. He has a physical ailment - his head is tilted, and the rescue felt he likely was never going to be adopted and would end up PTS. I'm not sure I ever fostered him, lol, I just TOOK him. Look at him now, still with a tilt to his head, but a handsome strong 14 pound 2 year old lanky boy!

Chaplin: 10 week old kitten I trapped. After spending 4 days here, he moved on to another volunteer for socializing. Three weeks later, she was going on vacation for 2 weeks and needed someone to kitten sit him. I took him back and Dad said we couldn't let him go again.

Tommy & Tuppence: brother and sister kittens who were going to be split up for socialization, fostering and adoption. I'd already been through that once and felt it was a HUGE mistake, so I said I'd keep them rather than have them separated.

Mandy: I trapped a male kitten and his sister snuggled up to the trap next to him. Reset the trap and she went straight in. I was new to the program and went along with them that these 2 had to be separated, socialized separately and adopted out independently. We lost track of the male. Mandy has never really recovered from being separated from her brother before she was ready, IMO. She went to another home for 4 months, then lived with Donna / Moosmom, for a year, but never learned to trust humans OR other cats to any great extent. I took her back. And I refused to separate siblings after -- see Tommy & Tuppence above. Mandy has lived here over 14 months, rarely permits me to pet her, declines to have anything to do with the other cats; she starts howling if they so much as look at her. And I truly believe it is all due to that early separation before she was ready.

I have also failed fostering on the dog side. Marlin, Ozzy, and Tasha were all fosters before I adopted them.

[Pinot's Mom]

AHEM...Pinot here...you hoomans seem to think you have some control over this situation...well, you don't!

WE know when the situation is right, not you, and don't you forget it!

[Laura's Babies]

I LOVE this thread and hearing your stories.

[moosmom]

Mollie Rose - I saw her laying in the barn at the Bill Wilson House in East Dorset, VT. She was head-to-head with her twin sister, also a tortie. That was 16 years ago. She's old but still hanging in there.

MooShoo - Helping Paws of Colchester, CT rescued 7 Sphynxes, 4 kittens and 3 adults, from breeder Lisa Bressler, who neglected her babies. I fostered 3 of the 7 and fell head over heals in love with Moo. He's my soulmate and one of 2 survivors of the Sphynxes we rescued.

Maya Linn - As a volunteer with Catales and Helping Paws, I attended many adoption days. We had gotten a mama and her two babies from the "Save a Sato" program in San Juan, Puerto Rico. They were absolutely GORGEOUS!!! Blue eyes, stunning markings. I held the little boy in my arms throughout the whole day. He slept soundly. Rene told me she wouldn't be insulted if one of the kittens would be missing when I brought them back to the shelter. I was in love but was afraid of bringing another male into my house (I already had 2 that were butting heads). So, I took the little girl and named her after the designer of the Vietnam Wall, Maya Lynn. She's 11 years old.

Shortie - Another rescue from a bad breeder who kept her in a cage the first year of her life with no human or feline contact. She was a purebred Munchkin and she was SOOO shy!! Yet this idiot breeder wanted to keep showing her in cat shows, and breed her. She came down with pyometria and had to be spayed. The breeder had no use for her cuz she couldn't produce any kittens. As I was bringing her back to her cage at the show, she bit me. It was love at first bite!!! She's been with me for 11 years. The breeder named her "Little Mews Faberge". I changed that name quickly.

Buddy - He was the pet of a woman in a battered women's shelter. The woman promised to come back for him once she got a new place to live. She never did. Buddy then went onto live in 7 homes in less than a year and was one messed up cat. I took him back and kept him with me. He started peeing inappropriately because MooShoo, my Alpha male, would sabbotage him in the litterbox. I worked through it with him. I decided that this boy had been through enough and wasn't going anywhere. He's now one happy, mischievous kitty. He's put on weight, is eating and drinking and using the litterbox.

Murphy - 14 year old tabby I adopted in December. She had been at the CT Humane Society for over a year and was being overlooked because of her age. She was dumped off by her owners who didn't want the expense of thyroid surgery. The HS stepped up to the plate and did the surgery. I wanted to give an unwanted OLDER cat a furrrever home for Christmas. She was it and is THE sweetest old lady. If I hadn't taken her home, she would've definitely been pts.

I've had many, MANY cats both rescue and fosters, come through my doors. I'm proud of the work I've done and wouldn't change a thing. I commend everyone here in animal rescue for taking in so many unwanted and abused animals. One kitty at a time...

[catmandu]

I always took in Cats so that they would be Found Cats , and I know that I would be a failure at fostering as the Found Ctas and I would not have wanted them to go. Raganar Guftason the Maine Coon would have stayed but he had a devoted owner in the wings.
And Ebony Beau Tubster and Gem and Charcoal would have been Found Cats , but fate and FIP dictated otherwise!!

[katladyd]

My only 'save' was my orangman, McGyver. My supervisor at a school I used to work at brought in this orange cat she had poofed from neglectful owners who lived on her block. I won't go in to details, but let's just say anyone who leaves on vacation frequently and either lets the cat loose to fend for himself for two weeks or locks him in the garage with one bowl of food and one of water, deserves to have their cat poofed! I just took him for a couple of days until she could find someone to adopt him. That was seven years ago. He's still at my house and dearly loved I have a soft spot for orange cats because of him. He is very smart, very affectionate, and very well behaved. He's going on eleven years old now, but he still acts like a kitten!

[GILL]

Well Precious was to be our frist FOSTER, right moosmom, BUT she couldn't go when she was supposed to and now. Take my right arm it would be easyer. I can see Dobe and Egypt going the same way. I love failing at something.

[Cinder & Smoke]

>deep sigh<



I guess when they *wander onto* the Ranch,
then *wander into* the House ...

and then don't leave ...

You start to get the hint that they may be staying for a while.

Then there's that First Trip to the White Coat --- and YOUR Name is
already filled in on the blank chart and the Rabies certificate.

Even the "Loaners" that move in for few days or weeks whilst the Family
goes off on a vacation are made to feel *welcome* by the resident tribe -
the attitude of "There's always room for a few more" seems to prevail.

How do I know?
I don't think I ever really had a *choice*!