Cats

Matilda required foster care due to behavioral issues with the other cats in the shelter. During her lengthy time with us, Matilda enjoyed destroying Leah’s backpack and our chances of getting our pet deposit back. We loved her dearly. She’s now happily adopted by a college friend.

“Little” Jackson (he had that name when he came to us) needed foster care because he is FIV+. He required three veterinary visits during our brief time with him; the first one took place on the first day of his stay with us, because he decided to jump directly onto a hot stove, which “pawsitively” hurt! He’s a cuddly, playful, derpy cat and was adopted into a loving family.

Isobel was placed in foster care to help socialize her and get her accustomed to humans. She stayed with us briefly and was largely reclusive, requiring lots of coaxing to come out of her cubby hole in the bookshelf each day. She was eventually transferred back to the cat shelter, where it was later discovered that she suffers from arthritis. She now receives the treatment she needs and is a much happier, friendlier cat.

We substitute fostered Shannon and Boone for just a few days at a time. Shannon and Boone were littermates, though you couldn’t tell due to their differences in development. Boone (featured in the Cards Against Humanity box for size reference) struggled to keep up with his energetic sister and needed protection from her attempts to roughhouse with him. Shortly after our brief foster stint, Boone passed away due to Fading Kitten Syndrome. Shannon was later adopted into a family that had a sibling kitten for her (“Banjo”) and is doing very well.

We would be lying if we pretended that we didn’t have favorites. Saffron had been bullied in the shelter and was not comfortable around other cats. When she was placed in our care, she’d been given up by two previous homes. Saffron loved head scratches and being brushed, and she enjoyed being perched in high places. She had ringworm while under our care, which (as we learned) is less frightening than it sounds but did keep us somewhat quarantined from friends who owned pets until her condition cleared. Saffron was adopted in the winter but then was returned due to unexpected life circumstances, so we had the chance to foster her again. She was adopted again in May, and her adopter lives in our apartment complex. Sometimes we catch a glimpse of her in a window, and it makes us smile.

Jagger was the most affectionate, clingiest, cuddliest cat we’ve fostered yet. He came to us straight from a shelter, as his final date was approaching, and he had a handful of medical problems, some of which were discovered in our care. He was filthy when he arrived, even after we gave him several baths (which he endured without much of any resistance, which we found concerning). During our time with Jagger, we learned that cat lice cannot be transferred to humans, and we learned how silly cats look when they’ve been shaved. Jagger was swiftly adopted by a loving family, and he now has a dog sibling.

Lapis was transferred to us straight from the shelter so that we could help socialize her before she would be placed in the Dancing Cat. She was incredibly reclusive, to the point that she would hide in our bathroom cabinet all day if given the opportunity. We forced her out of the cabinet while she screamed bloody murder. After a few minutes of being petted, she relaxed and started purring and nuzzling her head for more, as if she’d simply forgotten that she does in fact enjoy human company. This was a daily ritual with Lapis.

We were starting to see progress when our time with Lapis was cut short. Saffron’s adopter had surrendered her, and she shelter wanted us to take Saffron back. Lapis had some trouble adjusting to the cat lounge, continuing to be a recluse, but she was befriended by a volunteer who adopted her. She now goes by Juliette.

Iona was our first foster kitty of the “floof” variety. She is a burst of energy, while also enjoying pets and snuggles. She also often sang for us in the middle of the night. Before being transferred to the Dancing Cat, the lounge needed to confirm that her odd eye discoloration was not some sort of contagious condition. We took her to a veterinary ophthalmologist, who confirmed that Iona has full vision and is not contagious to other cats. Iona is now at the Dancing Cat, awaiting an adopter and basking in the adoration of her many visitors.

Rocco is another FIV+ cat, and we have fostered him for about a month. This quirky cat can’t resist his wand toy and played so roughly with it that it had to be restrung regularly. He enjoys quietly standing behind Leah while she does her makeup in the morning and then getting tripped on, rearranging small items in our apartment, and sneaking into the bedroom, which is off limits to our foster cats. He is still living with us and available for adoption.