THE RIGHT DECISIONS

The last four months have been a roller coaster ride when it comes to fostering kittens. And I hate roller coasters! After parting ways with a local cat rescue group, a long-time rescue friend and I co-founded Border Kitty Rescue (BKR) under Border Collie Rescue and Rehab in May 2023.

Cream Soda & Truffles

I picked up two bottle-baby kittens, our first fosters for BKR, in May. They were a little over one week old. I was concerned about Truffles, the black kitten. She was a bit too quiet. Cream Soda, the orange boy, appeared to be more stable than his sister. Initially, I struggled to get them to take formula, but on day 2, I was able to. It’s almost euphoric when a neonatal kitten finally latches on and drinks formula in your hands. I was able to capture the moment Cream Soda took to the bottle. You can hear my husband gasp in the video below–we were so happy! I fed them every two hours, and things were going well on day 2.

In the dawn of Day 3, I woke up to feed the babies and found Cream Soda lying frailly. It was on Sunday morning, and my vet was closed, so I took him to the nearest emergency vet. Despite my pleas, the vet was not able to help him, and suggested we give him a peaceful goodbye there. I held him in the room for a while, sobbing, told him he was mine. I adopted him before he departed so he was no longer an orphan. It was on Mother’s Day. I still imagine what kind of kitten he would have grown up to be.

I was terrified for Truffles as she was still not eating well. Losing Cream Soda was traumatic, it also added more fear to the possibility of losing his sister. I had to be creative to figure out a way to make her feel more comfortable eating out of a bottle. I remember telling her she had to eat, get strong, and survive for her and her brother. When I have a kitten struggling to eat, I always imagine those kittens with their new mom/dad. Someone is going to be so happy to have him/her one day, and all these struggles will be just stories to look back on later. Those visions help me. Creating a makeshift nursing station seemed to help her. A few weeks of worrying and she was finally stable.

Sunny Bear & Smokey Bear

I was trying to find another singleton kitten for Truffles. If possible, I want all my kittens to have a playmate so they can socialize and have a friend. Two little guys popped up needing a foster home. They were around 5 weeks old, and they reminded me so much of my very first foster kittens, GG and Cheddar. I usually like to foster only two kittens at a time, but I didn’t hesitate to bring these fuzzballs home. I couldn’t let the new guys meet Truffles for a couple of weeks, until they were out of quarantine. I did my best to keep Truffles entertained and socialized as a solo kitten. I carried her in a sling, and touched her as often as I could. (Watch how I socialized Truffles) That is probably why she got really attached to me. She got ill during the two weeks with Giardia and we had to extend the quarantine a little longer. We counted the days until she and the boys could finally meet.

We named the new boys Sunny Bear and Smokey Bear. Compared to other recent foster kittens in our care, they were two of the easiest foster kittens–easy to feed, healthy, playful, and they gave me a little mental relief from all the worrying. Sunny has the most endearing eyes I’ve ever seen on a kitty. When he looked at me with his innocent blue eyes, I couldn’t help but feel warm and tingly inside. And he looked at me a lot. The first thing you’ll notice about Smokey is also his eyes–decorated by his perfect eyeliners any girl would die for.

Three Bears Finally Meet

Truffles finished her medications, was feeling well and catching up on eating. It was finally time she meet her new friends! When I introduce a kitten to another kitten, I usually take extra time. But I had a feeling this meeting was going to go very smoothly, so, I just let them meet. (Video of them meeting below) The meeting was uneventful–and it couldn’t have gone any better. I changed Truffles’ name to Truffle Bear, and she became part of the bear pack. It was so satisfying to watch Truffles play and sleep with Sunny and Smokey. These babies need friends to learn from and to feel safe.

5 Days Later, I Lost my Marbles

I came home with three more kittens. These kittens had ringworm (originally I was told it was scabies). I’m a very logical person who plans everything, but I didn’t have a good plan this time. Luckily, the timing worked out as our human kids were gone for two weeks for summer camp. We were able to set up an isolated area for the new kittens, and developed a good handling system, placed before the kids returned. The babies not only had ringworm, they also had coccidia, fleas, eye infections, upper respiratory infections, and giardia. On top of that, they were semi-feral. We blocked off half of our hallway and created a spacious area for them. I had to wear a gown, gloves and shoe covers to enter the area, which didn’t help with getting them used to me. But I knew I had to keep handling them to socialize them before they got older. We named them Vanilla, Ice, and Baby. For their name reveal, my husband (a nerdy finance guy) wrote a rap song for them and I made a short video for it.

Long Road to a Recovery

Ringworm treatment was not fun for anyone. I had to shampoo the babies daily, sulfur dip them twice a week, and apply ointment twice a day. I also had to medicate them daily. The first few weeks, I slept on  average 4 hours a day. I was still taking care of Truffles and the Bears. How did we end up with 6 kittens? It was me!  I chose to. I still can’t believe how impulsive I was, but I have no regret. I was also working my job, taking care of my household, and constantly sanitizing the house. Those weeks are a bit of a blur in my memory.

I was dying to introduce VIB (Vanilla, Ice, and Baby) to the Bears (Sunny, Smokey, and Truffles) while they were still very young. It’s a lot easier for cats to adjust when they are still babies. But VIB had to be in quarantine for 8 weeks. During that time, Truffles went to her forever family.

Integrating All Five Kittens

When it was time to un-quarantine VIB, I decided to delay the meeting just a little longer so I could let them get to know each other through the gates. I did that because VIB was under-socialized and I wanted to set them up for success. I also did “site swapping” where I move groups of kittens to different areas of the house for several hours. It allowed them to get familiar through scents without meeting face-to-face. I used to do this with dogs as well.

Fast forward several weeks. All five of them get along beautifully. I haven’t noticed any pair that is bonded like Biscuit and Grayvy. Ice seems to prefer Vanilla, but he plays and cuddles with any other kitten. Baby loves everyone and he just wants a warm body to snuggle with. Before adding VIB, I thought Sunny and Smokey were going to be a bonded pair. As weeks went by, the dynamic shifted. I noticed Smokey cuddling more with Baby, and we found Sunny being quite independent. Four kittens would be sleeping by the window, and I would find Sunny sleeping peacefully on top of the cat tree by himself.

Crush on a Kitten

Within a week of getting Sunny and Smokey, I confessed on my page “I have a crush on one of the kittens”. I didn’t want to publicly say who it was, as that could affect people who want to apply to adopt him. I couldn’t explain what it was about him, but somehow, Sunny put a spell on me. I’d come out of the bedroom, he’d be standing with the rest of the gang, looking all cute and innocent. Our eyes would meet, and I’d pause for a second. Then, he does his special slow blink…. I sigh and melt inside. At this point, we had no plan to keep any of the fosters, especially the Bears, who I originally thought were somewhat bonded. My husband and I want to continue fostering as long as we are able, but we’d adopt one if the right one happens to us. If we kept two, we would have to stop fostering. Some people tell me I’d manage multiple resident cats and fosters just fine. It’s not about being able to manage. I choose not to have two resident cats because I want to be able to give each of our furry kids a lot of attention. I want to take them to places, train them, and spend one-on-one time. We also want to be able to provide for them financially when there are medical needs.

Knowing what he would say, I told my husband so many times, “Maybe he should stay; I just love him.” He’d come back with, “You say that about every kitten.”

“He’s different.”

The Right Thing by Him

Just looking at this photo, my heart swells up. He is a gorgeous kitten, but it’s beyond that. As I watched Sunny get more independent from other kittens, I was starting to have a wishful thought. If nobody qualified wants to adopt him, and all the other kittens are adopted, should that mean he’s meant to stay? People comment how funny, cute, and special Sunny is on my videos. I was sure I had to go through so many applications, but strangely, I didn’t. The majority of inquiries were for Vanilla. I tried to imagine how I would feel if I had to hand him over to someone. I didn’t like the way it made me feel at all. My husband was still not on board. I want to do the right thing for Sunny and everyone involved. Would he be happy with us as a solo? Would he be a good mentor to other kittens? Is he going to enjoy training and outing? Because, that’s what his life would be if he stays.

I started testing him. He came with us every time my pups and I went out. He rode in my car while attached to a seatbelt. It took him some time to get completely comfortable with that. He went to our field and hung out while the girls played frisbee. In the house, I separated him from the other kittens for a few hours to see how he would react. When I did that with Ice, he was upset. I had to stop it. Sunny fell asleep on top of the cat tree by himself, and no stress was detected. None of my foster kittens sleeps with us in the bedroom so BB won’t be startled. I wanted to see how Sunny would act in our bedroom, so I tested him during the day without BB. I lay in bed and waited. Will he want to play? Will he cry for his friends? Sunny walked up to my chest, rubbed his face on my chin, licked my mouth with his spiky tongue, curled up on my neck, and fell asleep. There was no way I was going to move him, so I ended up taking a short nap with him. He stayed on my neck the entire time. I was in awe…. Since that day, he has been sleeping with us every night, mostly on my chest or on my hair. No issues with BB. I figured if we ended up adopting him out, someone will have an amazing, well-adapted kitty.

Letting the Universe Guide Me

One day, after having a few sips of good Bourbon, my husband said, “We could keep him,” as he gently stroked Sunny on his lap. I had to ask him to repeat the words. I thought I might have heard him wrong. He said, “Yeah, He’s special.” In the morning, I asked him again, and he confirmed his feelings towards him. I still wasn’t 100% there yet. I wanted the four other babies to be adopted in pairs. I couldn’t adopt Sunny unless that happened. I decided I was going to let the universe guide me. Then…someone inquired about Baby. She only wanted Baby. It wasn’t required he’d be adopted with another kitty, it was just my preference. And, this person had a kitty-friendly dog. But, I asked the question I always ask. “Would you be open to adopting his friend as well?” I know it’s a lot of personal and financial responsibility, but it doesn’t hurt to ask. Most people say no, and I totally understand and respect that. But she responded with, “I’m open to it.” Later that day she told me she did research on adopting two kittens vs just one after I asked her the question. A few days later, she said she’d like to adopt both Baby and Smokey.

Callie

I saw a singleton calico baby on a rescue page. The post read she was to be euthanized on Friday, the day before I saw it. But the post still showed “needs rescue.’ I contacted the shelter even though some of those posts don’t always get updated, knowing there was a chance she was either rescued by another group already or put to sleep.,.. To my surprise, the shelter said she was still there!! Unfortunately, I live hours away and I was attending an important event that day. My friend Deanne stepped up, dropped everything and drove to the shelter, but the kitten was gone. It turned out a person with ties to the shelter broke protocol and got the kitten out of the shelter the night before, so that she wouldn’t be put to sleep! I believe in following laws and rules in general, but I am grateful she broke the rules this time. Deanne finally picked her up, got her some supplies, took her home for the night. But she needed to come to me as soon as possible. I posted a plea on my social media platforms asking for transport assistance. I was overwhelmed by the amount of responses and offers to help. Some of them even offered to fly with her! I took the first offer from Sarah who saw my post on IG. She got the kitten from Deanne the next morning, and drove half way to meet me. A few hours later, this kitten was finally home with me.

She had a puncture wound on her neck and diarrhea, but no sign of ringworm or broken bones. I’m sure she had all kinds of worms. I was going to take her to the vet the next day to start whatever the treatment she needed. She hadn’t latched on the miracle nipple yet, but she was eating, which was amazing. I had to keep her isolated from the rest for a while. Phoebe was already whining to meet her.

At our 2 a.m. feeding, she pottied and managed to eat some. She was more frail from when I last checked on her. I was constantly worried at this age, checking to see if she was still breathing. Unfortunately, the main goal with orphaned neonates is to keep them alive until they are stable. I was imagining what kind of kitten she was going to grow up to be. Would she be calm and sweet like Vanilla or would the orange dominate her personality and be like Sunny? I told her I needed to find her a friend soon. I swaddled her like a burrito and we cuddled for a bit. I put her in her warm crib, and I was going to get some quick shut eye until the next feeding in two hours. Soon, I had an uneasy feeling, so I went back to check on her. She was gone….

I cried and cried holding her. I only had her for 15 hours. It took four strangers to save her from euthanasia and get her to me. Just like the day I lost Cream Soda–another neonatal kitten–I questioned if I was made to do this emotionally. The survival rate for baby kittens without their mom is very low, and losing them affects me a great deal. Should I only foster older kittens to save me from heartaches? That would mean there would be one less person to foster bottle babies, and fewer babies would have a chance to leave the shelter. Or…do I need to learn to put an emotional block to protect myself? Not sure if I’m capable of doing that. I’m actually doing therapy on myself as I write this. I’ve seen therapists in the past, but learned that writing is a lot more helpful to figure things out within myself.

I named her Callie. They all need a name to be remembered. Like Cream Soda, I adopted Callie, and she’ll have a resting place in our garden.

“You Need to Keep Them!”

One of the most exasperating comments I receive online is when people tell me; “You need to keep xxx” or “How could you let them go?” A few people were very upset with me when Biscuit and Grayvy were adopted. I keep having to remind some people why I foster. I cry every time my kittens get adopted. I really wanted to keep Biscuit and Grayvy, but doing that would have meant the end of fostering for us. VIB and the Bears would not have been with me if I had adopted them.

My original plan was to foster a couple of kittens just to help Phoebe, but now I believe I am (We are) meant to do this. I have the resources, support from my family and followers, and most importantly the passion for it.

Though I dislike comments telling me to keep my foster kittens, one particular comment affected me in a positive way. It was kind. I guess it was becoming obvious how much I adored Sunny. When I adopted BB, I did it for her because I was scared she’d be put down if I adopted her out. (BB’s story) When I adopted Phoebe, I did so mainly for BB because she made BB happy. (Phoebe’s story) I love both of them with all my heart, but we didn’t adopt them for me. I was thinking we should keep a kitten if Phoebe gets exceptionally bonded. She loves all the kittens, but so far, she hasn’t really gotten attached to any particular kitten. I see that she acts more like a sister to Sunny than a nanny these days. Is he her favorite? I don’t know…

Kitten School Graduation

Last Friday, Vanilla and Ice were adopted together by a wonderful family in Texas. I had a lot of inquiries for them, but I narrowed down to two great families for both. One of our volunteers conducted a home visit at one of the homes. The report explained how high energy their young Border Collie was, yet he switched to a calm and sweet dog as soon as his mom brought out her cat. The volunteers said “He reminded me of Phoebe.” I had goosebumps all over my body when I read that. Both Vanilla and Ice love Phoebe, and I had wished they would have a canine sibling like Phoebe. And they will have one of their own permanently!

The following day, Baby and Smokey were adopted together. I got really attached to Baby. When an animal you take care of is so frail, and you help him get well, it is impossible not to get attached. When I watch video clips of Baby as a baby, I still get emotional. And he has turned into one of the sweetest cats I’ve ever fostered. When their new mom arrived, Baby was shy. It takes time for him to warm up to new people. Smokey, on the other hand, was all over her, taking treats, and flying into the large carrier she brought with her. Baby watched him, and followed his lead. In their new home, Smokey will help and guide Baby. That is really comforting to know.

Within 24 hours, four of my babies got adopted. I stood in front of the windowsill they used to cuddle puddle and cried. It was so empty. It is more likely that I never get to see the majority of my foster babies in person again. I understand that my role is being the bridge between their previous life to their new and amazing life. As long as I get good updates, I’ll be OK. I told my husband I was overwhelmed with so many emotions, but mainly it was a feeling of accomplishment. After losing Callie, I really needed this.

Gingerbread

I was worried about how Sunny would act without his friends. For several weeks, I tried to prepare him to bond more with us (BB, PB, and me) instead of with his friends. If he had a choice, he chooses us over his feline buddies. On the first night without Vanilla, Ice, Baby and Smokey, Sunny was extra affectionate with us. We went to our field, had a little picnic, cuddled, and he seemed to be content. It was a huge relief.

Today, we are officially welcoming Sunny Bunny Ginger Bear to our family.

When I got Sunny and Smokey, I asked my followers for name suggestions. Someone said (If it was you, please let me know in the comment!) “Gingerbread”. I absolutely loved it! It’s cute, silly, and it’s a food name! I decided to save the name for me if I ever wanted to adopt an orange cat in the future. And here we are. We have changed his name to “Gingerbread” aka GB. (Goes with BB and PB) If you like “Sunny”, you can still call him that. I usually call him “Monkey”, my nickname for him.

Please help me welcome Sunny Bunny Gingerbread Monkey Bear as part of the Border Bunch!