Hi all – It’s hard to believe but today is my FINAL Foster Kitten Friday post!! My sweet jellybeans are all off in the big world to continue their exciting lives. To those of you who have sent me messages of encouragement each week, THANK YOU! Your support has meant everything. Here are some of the things I’ve learned from this wonderful experience: 1. I really love cats. Okay, I already knew that one... moving on. 2. Not all cats love me. I was fortunate to have the mama cat with me because bottle-feeding neonates round the clock is EXHAUSTING and I only did it for one night before the mama cat came back looking for her babies. Luckily, the rescue was able to trap her and reunite her with us and even luckier is that she immediately started nursing her babies. I named her Chloe and in my mind we would be besties. In her mind, I was the prison guard who kept her inside 24/7. Despite my attempts to woo her with food, treats, and even the occasional pet on the head, she let me know on a daily basis with her growls and hisses I was not her friend. But she never tried to hurt me, and she let me take care of her babies - as long as I did it quickly. For that I’m grateful. 3. Neonate kittens are FRAGILE beings. We got hit with so many (way too many) kitten ailments that I was not emotionally equipped to handle. At least not at first, because let's face it, even though I was “foster” mom, I was attached to these little jellybeans from the moment the rescue handed them over to my care. My weekly blog posts talk about some of our struggles, so I won’t rehash them here, but I will say, I was told more than once that a kitten (or two) may not make it, and I’m happy (THRILLED) to say they are all healthy and strong fighters! 4. I put more effort into trying to get the kittens adopted then I did in trying to market my books. It’s true. My oldest son pointed this out. There’s definitely some behind the scenes psychology going on here that will get its own blog post, but for now, all I can say is "Buy My Books" (happy son?) ... here’s the link to my Amazon page, but if you can shop local, please do! Also – thank you to everyone who adopts a furry friend of any age from a shelter or rescue! Or to anyone who is involved in the TNR program. You’re a hero! 5. Back to cats ... Speaking of adoption, saying goodbye is hard. Yes, I cried. It was a mixture of happy and sad tears. Avery, Teddi, and Jamie all went to live with friends. Teddi and Jamie went together. I can’t begin to express how happy it makes me to have my friends welcome these sweeties into their homes. As for Parker, the rescue didn’t want him to be alone, so they placed him with two other kittens in the pet store, Ping and Pong (so cute right?) while they tried to find the purr-fect family for them all. I went to visit him a few days ago because it happened so fast, and I didn’t really get to say goodbye. He was having so much fun playing, he barely noticed I was there. There were also SO many people around giving him love and attention and last I heard there were five adoption applications submitted. My heart is full. Here are some of my last minute cuddles and good-bye pictures: And some pictures of Avery and Jamie and Teddi (now Hyde and Jackie) in their new homes: 6. So .. Will I do it again? Let’s just say the “kitten room” is ready and waiting. Also – if you are able, please consider fostering with a shelter or rescue in your area. I hope you all have a great weekend! Xo, Karen
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