This piece for The Lost Dogs’ Home in Melbourne explains what it was like for my wife and I to foster kittens.
Although we consider ourselves to be experienced cat owners, we’d never fostered a kitten before, let alone four kittens and a mother cat (known as a Queen). The weeks during which we observed these little animals change from near-blind creatures that could barely support their own weight to supremely adorable high-energy little terrors proved to be incredibly rewarding.
My intention with this piece was to highlight the benefits of animal fostering in a light and accessible way. This is because the warmer months in Melbourne are peak kitten season, during which there is an ever-pressing need for homes to accept animals.
Although this piece is ostensibly on a light topic, it nonetheless has a serious side. Part of the motivation to foster came from the fact that our cat had passed away a few months previously. We weren’t quite yet ready to commit to another decade of animal companionship and so this somewhat personal topic is talked about by touching on themes like responsibility, loss, and the surprising social benefits of animal fostering.