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Room for Fosters

Writer's picture: Nose 2 Tail Cat RescueNose 2 Tail Cat Rescue

About a year ago, I was at a rough place in my life, fresh off of the death of my beloved dad 8 months earlier, grieving a breakup, and simultaneously moving out of a house that I shared with my partner and into a tiny apartment in a new city, after living in the same neighborhood for the past 8 years. I was depressed and felt the lowest I had ever felt in my entire 27 years. 


Somewhere along the way, the opportunity for me to buy my very first house after renting for years presented itself (let’s be honest, I was searching, desperate to get out of my current living situation at the time that was bumming me out) - and I LEAPED on it. Scared to live alone and terrified of being a homeowner for the first time, I went for it, and patted myself on the back for being able to make this move for myself after the past year of, well, shit, that life had thrown my way. I was excited for this next chapter. How does this relate to fostering kittens, you may be asking yourself? I’ll tell you in three seemingly insignificant, but actually very impactful words - room for fosters! 


I have always tossed around the idea of fostering kittens, as I am the proud owner of two cats myself - a lovely, polar opposite, refined older sister and goofy younger brother duo. I found myself repeatedly looking at their baby photos as a single, twentysomething, biological mother-of-none does. In my days of darkness, countless hours of scrolling TikTok videos of baby kittens or commenting on local shelter’s newest residents posts led me to finally submitting an application to foster kittens officially. I had zero experience, and little to no idea what to expect. Though, I do have a close friend who had previously fostered for Nose 2 Tail, and I’d visited her babies previously, and had her insight and candor to leverage, so I felt slightly more comfortable. Thanks, Candace! I wouldn't have done this without you! Fun fact, my girl cat, Stevie, lovingly referred to most days as Teensula, was actually a Nose 2 Tail kitten that Candace fostered before I adopted her! Any who, a few months later, Sandi, who runs Nose 2 Tail, contacted me on a Friday and let me know she had 2 kittens that needed a home. They had appeared seemingly out of nowhere in a trailer / hoarding situation in McDonald. I quickly glanced at the photo of 2 sets of adorable, baby kitten eyes peering up at the camera through tiny, black and orange kitten bodies and shot a text back. 


Needless to say, the story of Abra & Cadabra (referred to here on out as Simon & Garf, we’ll get to that shortly) and my first foster journey began….


The day I picked up Simon and Garfunkel (Garf for short), I was instantly in love and determined to do whatever I needed to do to ensure that I could provide them with the best experience in my little home as possible. I was a little worried how my own cats would adapt to having two tiny strangers in the house. I couldn’t keep their names straight - Abra and Cadabra was difficult for me to differentiate for whatever reason, even though one of my new babies was orange and the other was black with espresso colored highlights. I quickly decided to come up with names that I could remember and that I felt suited them. They had come into my life quickly and joyfully, and the vibe with them around was light-hearted and fun. And SO CUTE! So, I decided to call them Simon & Garfunkel, it’s the first set of names that came to mind and also provided a nod to my love of music in the era of the real Simon & Garfunkel - thanks, dad! 


For the first few weeks, Simon and Garf lived in my office with me. I work from home, so it was most convenient for me to have them set up in a room where I spent the most time and could keep an eye on them. They were in attendance of several meetings, and met all of my coworkers virtually. I couldn’t stop ooohing and ahhhhing over them - and I never did! 


They quickly became acclimated to our life, used their litter box without problems, and ate & drank normally, took all of their necessary medications like good boys, and really just became a part of my unit. I recall texting Sandi numerous times, freaking out about a sneeze here or a watery eye there. She quickly assured me that these things are normal, and will happen, and all I could do was to keep a close eye on them to ensure nothing got worse. So I did - I checked on them hourly, and meticulously logged their weights to ensure they were increasing throughout the weeks. Before I knew it, my two, less than 2 pound babies were growing up into tiny gentlemen right before my eyes! 


When it was time for the boys to go to their spay/neuter appointment, I was very nervous. I didn’t know what to expect, I was fearful of the process, how long they would be under anesthesia for, worried that they would be in pain after their appointment. The entire day they were there, I checked my phone every minute for an update on them. They never left my mind that day… my two sweet fur babies. I picked them up at 4pm that day and they were just as they were when I dropped them off. In my mind, I expected them to be lethargic and sleepy - to my surprise, they came back from their appointment hungry and ready to play with their older foster brother, Marv. 


I knew that once they were fixed, they would officially be up for adoption shortly after. At this point, I had cared for them for almost 2 months, and had become accustomed to having two tiny kittens in my home every day & night. The thought of them leaving at some point was a thought that I tucked way back into my mind. I loved them & they showed me love back … how could I ever give that up? I went back and forth multiple times, pondering if I should just keep them and welcome them into my family. I couldn’t bear the thought of someone else taking care of them and me not knowing where they end up in their kitty lives. 


Then, we got an application. Someone wanted to adopt my sweet Simon & Garf! I knew this day would come, and I told Sandi early on that even if I said I wanted to keep them, that I couldn’t. The reason I wanted to foster in the first place was to be able to help kittens in need, get them back to good health or acclimated to being indoor kitties, and send them on their way to their forever home. I wanted to make a difference, I wanted to help, I wanted to love and open my heart up to other little hearts that needed a little guidance. And that is exactly what Simon & Garf allowed me to do. They trusted me enough to take care of them and keep them safe. They got comfortable having full range of my house, took advantage of having an older brother that was ready to play and give baths, and even got the courage to try to snuggle their older foster sister Stevie, who couldn’t have cared less that they existed in our home.  


The week leading up to their adoption day was rough for me. Having gone through a major loss recently with my dad, I noticed some of the same feelings coming up for me during this time. The thought of them leaving felt like another end to a chapter that I wasn’t ready to close. I couldn’t bear the thought of coming home to my house without them meeting me at the door. How did I cope with it?  I decided we would have a week long party before they departed for their furever home. Needless to say, there were many treats given, “gourmet” kitty dinners served, catnip tea consumed, photo shoots, play time, and of course,  extra cuddles and smooches. I wanted to make sure that I pampered them and gave them as much love as I could before they left my home that they came to know - and I knew this would make me feel a little more at ease with the transition. 


On the morning of the adoption, I was a nervous wreck. I wasn't sure what to expect, how they would react to meeting a stranger, and most of all (and selfishly) I worried about how I would feel the second they left my home. When their new mama met them, she told me that she had recently lost her beloved kitty of many years, and was devastated at the loss. She said to me “I just don’t want to feel so sad anymore over this loss.” We cried together, her at the thought of bringing two new babies into her home while still grieving the loss of her beloved fur child, and me, worried about how Marv would react to not having his baby foster brothers to hang with, and my personal struggle with letting them move on to the next phase of their life. It was exactly what you would call a bittersweet moment - I knew that their new family was the best case scenario for them, where they would be the only animals in the house and be cared for and loved by people that knew just what it’s like to bond with a cat. But at the same time, I was devastated to let them go. If I had it my way, they would have stayed little and perfect forever, and we would have lived happily ever after. 


The sadness I felt after they left my home can only be described as grief. I missed coming home to a house full of little paws and sweet kitten boys greeting me and following me around. I missed our breakfast and dinner routines, our play routines, and most of all, I missed waking up to them at my feet, hungry and ready to get the day started. 


I quickly realized I could stew over my feelings of sadness, or I could shift my perspective and realize that if they hadn’t come into my life, I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to come to know and love them. I wouldn’t have had the endless hours of entertainment or the feeling of my heart bursting with joy every time I saw them. I needed to focus on the facts - 1) that I set out to foster in the first place to make a difference, and if I kept them, I wouldn’t be able to continue my foster journey, because my 1,000 square foot home just wouldn’t have the space and 2) that my role was done and they needed to move on to their next chapter - even though the pain of life without them felt unbearable, we had found an amazing and loving home for them to go to where they will thrive for the rest of their time. And that really is the whole point of fostering - I provided them a place to stay when they needed one and gave them the opportunity to know what it felt like to be adored & cared for. I like to think that I set them up for success in the future, but really, I believe that they made the most impact on me. 


Simon and Garf completely changed my life, and I don’t say this lightly. I set out to foster initially to fill a void in my life - I wanted purpose, I wanted to care for them and show them as much love as I possibly could. They pulled me out of a dark era that I had been stuck in and showed me that my heart had so much more room to grow. They taught me patience, they taught me that the simplest things in life can sometimes provide the most pleasure (a twist tie, a Pom Pom, a toy from the dollar store, and pipe cleaners provided endless fun & entertainment for both the kittens and myself). I learned to love being in the moment. I recall many evenings, sitting on the floor of my first home, kittens running around, my cats casually popping in and out and I felt like the missing piece had finally been found. My heart was overflowing with joy and happiness with having them in my home. I couldn’t have asked for a better first time foster experience than I got with Simon and Garf. They have left their mark on me and I will forever be eternally grateful for the opportunity to love them as if they were my own. 


I am now almost all the way through my second litter of fosters, a lovely trio of two adorable baby girls and one playful and silly boy. I see so many similarities between the two litters, yet they are also completely different from each other. I chat & exchange photos regularly with Simon & Garf’s new mama who is amazing and has made this process so much easier by allowing me to still remain in their lives. In fact, as you are reading this, I am likely on my way to go see them at their new home, which I am SO excited for. 


So, here’s to you two, Mr. Syme and Mr. Garf. You changed my life in ways that you’ll never know, and I’ll always hold you close to my heart. Thank you  for showing me what it means to be a foster mama.


If you are considering being a foster parent and have the means to do so, I hope my story can inspire you to take the leap and submit an application. It’s not always easy or glamorous, but I assure you, you’ll never laugh so hard at baby kittens playing in your home and the amount of pure love and joy they will provide you with. 


-Alexandra







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