# Say bye to my fosters...



## Arkona (May 7, 2012)

I was supposed to foster them for 2 weeks, and ended up fostering them for nearly 3 months. In this time I grew very attached to them, and them to me. They were my babies...

Today it was time to return them. I am heartbroken. I know this is how fostering goes... but I feel almost like I betrayed them. Like they thought they would stay with me forever, and now they are back at the shelter...

I hope they get adopted soon. I can not bear the thought of them staying there for long. Normally, the kittens there get adopted out right away, but today I noticed there were quite a few who have been there for a few months.

Anyways, here are the last photos I took of them:

Chrissy









Cow









Yoda









I miss them already.


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## NebraskaCat (Jan 15, 2013)

Hats off to all you foster parents. There is no way I could do the amazing work you do.

By providing a loving home, you've made these beautiful cats all the more adoptable, because when they meet potential adopters they will display the willingness to love and be loved that they learned in your care.

I am sorry for the sadness you must feel from the separation. Cherish the memories you have with them.


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## cat owner again (Dec 14, 2012)

They are gorgeous and if they can look at someone with those eyes shown in your photos, I don't see how they couldn't be adopted.


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## pkbshrew (Feb 13, 2013)

From one foster mum to another - I understand your sadness.....


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## Marcia (Dec 26, 2010)

Oh, I'm sorry. I know this must be heartbreaking. This is why I have to avoid fostering and even going to shelters. I just can't take it. I do my part by making stuff and selling it and donating the $$$ to my favorite shelter. I just can't come in contact with the cats, I just can't. I just made 11 wren birdhouses for $20 each, but they are very slow to sell. Only sold 3 this entire week.

View attachment 25945


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## MTTS88 (Jun 23, 2013)

Im looking at doing this too. Might be upgrading to a larger house in the near term and would love to provide many cats a nice place to hang out.


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## gizmothecat (Jun 26, 2013)

I could never do what you do! I am not that strong when it comes with 2 eyes, furry body and long tail. I takes a very strong person to foster...VERY. They had a nice home...they had a loving touch...you are preparing them for the next stage of their lives....I alwas said I appreciated gizmos foster...they did a beautiful job with her.

Thank YOU and all the other fosters out their!!


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## Jetlaya67 (Sep 26, 2012)

I don't think I could foster. Too painful for me. Thank you to you and the other foster moms (and dads) here. Without you those babies may not have had a chance at a good life. They are so beautiful and well socialized by you that the chances of them being adopted soon is very good.


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## dt8thd (Jan 7, 2013)

I'm sorry. I know exactly what you mean when you say you almost feel like you've betrayed them; I've definitely felt that way before about fosters that have become attached to me. Unfortunately, it's one of the pitfalls of fostering, especially if it's long-term. For me, I think it helps that I'm also in control of the adoption process (I usually foster privately, rather than through a shelter or rescue). It's extra work, and you can end up with some pretty long-term fosters, but you also get to be directly involved in matching the cats with their new families. It's bittersweet but also quite rewarding.

The time you spent loving and caring for these kittens has made a real difference in their lives and has made them much more adoptable cats!


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## BigDaveyL (Jun 26, 2012)

My fiance and I have considered becoming fosters once we get married.


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## Arkona (May 7, 2012)

I really appreciate all the responses and kind words. I think part of what makes this so hard is that during much of the time I was fostering, I had this idea in my mind that I would be able to find adopters for the kittens and that they might go home with someone I knew.

Well, despite the fact that possibly over ten people showed interest at one point or another, not a single one of them decided to take one of them in when push came to shove. 

Then when I went to the shelter to drop them off and went in to check on the other cats there (I haven't volunteered in a few months, because the little free time I used to have and spend there, I've been spending on the kittens), I saw a lot of kittens there, some who have been there 2 months or longer. I was used to how it was before kitten season, when kittens were harder to find so whenever we got some they would be gone within a week. I just don't want my babies to be there so long 

If at least they get adopted soon, I will feel much better. The shelter is not going to officially notify me, they are just too busy for that... they wouldn't even tell me when they were going to put them up on the adoption floor. But I will be there on Friday to check in on them, and if I don't see them that means they were either adopted or moved to the location at the mall, which means they will get more visitors and be more likely to get adopted. And then I can just check with one of the adoption people to see whether or not they were adopted. I already warned them that I will be checking every week.


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## Catlover Danielle (Jul 31, 2013)

Would your shelter you work with let you foster them until they find forever homes? I do understand this isn't always doable. The rescue I foster for doesn't have a shelter location - they only run through foster homes & have a very small space at a petsmart location. I am very very sad when they got to the petsmart location - it breaks my heart having to say bye.  and then not knowing WHO they end up with.

I like the idea of you being able to keep them until they find their forever homes & possibly just networking them through facebook & petfinder until they find their homes.


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