The Fabulous Life of a Foster Caregiver: You Could Be Have That, Too!

Do you have what it takes to become a foster caregiver?

Do you like to play with kittens? Do you like to be covered in kittens clamoring to give you kisses... or tug on your hair? Do you like to hear purring so loud you swear the kitten has to be amped? Do you like to be greeted by a swarm of kittens excited to see you... and the food you bring? Are you prepared to be trapped under a half dozen kittens snoozing contentedly on your lap?

Okay. So fostering isn't always about the good. We do have to clean litter boxes many, many times a day. We have the pleasure of inspecting what was left in the litter box to make sure there aren't (or are) parasites. We have to wipe down walls after a kitten has had explosive diarrhea... or just plain missed the box while in training. Hours later, we then have to wipe the walls down again after a kitten splattered the wall with liquid medication that the kitten did NOT want to take. We have to vacuum (for what seems like daily) to pick up all the tracked litter, crumbs, and goodness know what else is lying on the floor that shouldn't be. We have to wash dishes. Kittens eat a lot. And use a lot of dishes. There will be times when your dishwasher is loaded only with kitten plates and bowls in it.

We worry about kittens who have the sneezes... and then may have to clear our schedules to take one to the vet unexpectedly. We have to worry when a kitten isn't thriving as well as it should. We have to worry that the kitten is going to climb to the top of the bookshelf and not be able to get down for hours... or worse, try to get down all by herself by jumping straight down. Our legs are covered in hundreds of tiny scratches. Kitten nails are sharp and grow fast.

And then there's the anxiety and exhaustion caused by kittens running in every direction and getting into everything they shouldn't (but they think they should). We have to remove a kitten hanging from the curtains while stopping another kitten from tumbling down the stairs and then grabbing something suspicious from another kitten's mouth while suppressing a scream as yet another kitten decides that your leg is meant for climbing...

But after you collapse in a heap on the floor from all the worry and extra cleaning, a tiny kitten crawls onto your crumpled lap, stands up on her hind legs to sniff your face, and then curls up into a ball on your lap, purring away. And that is what makes it all worth it.

Sign up to be a foster caregiver today if you LIKE scratches and cleaning litter boxes because you also like to hear kittens purr.

On-line Foster Caregiver Application Form: http://felinerescue.org/volunteering/foster-volunteer-application/