Many cat lovers become cat fosters for one simple reason: Fostering saves lives. Nationally, according to American Humane, less than 30 percent of cats entering shelters will be adopted or reunited with their owners; many others will be euthanized, often for lack of shelter space. That knowledge is enough to spur people like Kate Luse, a Montgomery County woman who has been fostering cats for a total of eight years, into action.
Luse has fostered cats for the Montgomery County Humane Society (MCHS) for four years now. At MCHS, the cat adoption rate is much higher than the national average, but still, Luse knows that for every cat she fosters in her basement cattery, she’s actually helping two: the cat she brings home and the cat that moves into the freed-up shelter space. Knowing that she’s making that kind of a difference in cats’ lives is one of the best things about fostering, she says.
Her willingness to foster cats who might have trouble attracting adopters has led Luse to help cats like Jake, an 8-year-old feline who was scraggily-looking from an untreated flea allergy and had a serious heart condition. Given that so many adopters want fluffy, healthy kittens, Jake didn’t seem to have much going for him. What he did have was confidence and affection. When Luse picked Jake up, he’d wrap his front legs around her neck to give her a hug. Jake also hugged Shannon Fairbanks, a vet tech for the cardiologist who treated him. Unable to resist Jake’s charm, Fairbanks adopted him and gave him the top-notch care he needed. “Jake was lucky to have Shannon as his person,” Luse says. Sadly, earlier this year Jake developed a blood clot, a condition from which he did not recover.
Jake’s story highlights another fact: Fostering isn’t just about the cats. “I have met some wonderful people through fostering,” Luse says, “the other folks who foster and shelter staff, of course, but also the folks who have adopted my foster cats.”
Many adopters check in with her on a regular basis, letting her know how her former foster cats are doing. Luse also acts as a resource for adopters, answering questions and helping them find solutions if their new pet is having a hard time, even offering to take the cat back if problems can’t be resolved. “Sometimes people expect everything to go smoothly from the get-go, and it just doesn’t always work that way,” she says.
Take Callie, for example. Callie was a 5-month-old pregnant feral kitten when Luse began fostering her. The kitten was initially very afraid of humans, but with time she became friendly with Luse. A family, the Rufs, saw Callie’s picture online and wanted to meet her. Callie was shy and scared during that first meeting, but the Rufs still felt drawn to her despite her obvious reservations about them. They adopted her and took her home, where she spent a lot of time hiding. Her new family understood that Callie needed some time and patience. It actually took a couple of years, but Callie became a very loving cat. “I’m very grateful to the Ruf family for not giving up on Callie,” Luse says.
“If I could just get one message out to folks,” she adds, “it would be that the cat (or dog) they bring into their home needs time, sometimes a lot of time, to adjust to the new environment, and that we humans have to be willing to make adjustments in our expectations and responses.” For adopters who make those adjustments, the reward can be a loving, furry new family member.
Meet some of Kate Luse’s foster cats in the slide show below. If you’re interested in fostering cats, read more about some reasons to foster, and contact the Montgomery County Humane Society to find out how to get started.
Don’t miss a single cat story! Click the “subscribe” button above to receive a free e-mail notice whenever a new story by the DC Cats Examiner is published. And if you have a cat story you’d like to share, feel free to e-mail me at editor@sundragonediting.com.
Comments