Notes on Fostering Cats

Watchin a mother at work

In the past year and a half I’ve been in the wonderful circumstances of having a roommate with a bengal cat and a boyfriend with a little black panther. Cats are wonderful. They have distinctive personalities at young ages just like us humans. Who to never judge you expressly or pretend to not care that they have chosen to snuggle up to you? They remind you to go slowly. Cats are the stars of online media of the past fifteen or so years for great reasons.

I found myself fostering cats for the first time this past week. I have three kittens and a mother all in a spare room in my house. The deal with fostering cats fresh from the block is that they must be socialized (with humans) lest they become cute and untouchable, a sad combination. I thought socializing a cat meant to bring it around to some sort of little cat meetup before this. it’s unfortunate that this doesn’t seem to exist.

Each of the three kittens is a different color, diversity is beautiful 😻

I’ve just been sitting in their room for hours each day so they get used to me. This is so fun! I’m doing so as I write this in fact. Obviously, they mostly sleep. I try to read their expressions.

The black one often adopts a space cadet stare and his tongue ever so slightly sticks out. What is it called when the irises are completely visible? Whatever it is is what gives his stare a striking quality. I do want to know what he’s seen.

The tabby is a mini me of his mother and loves to play and is brave in that regard in that he went up to play with me first out of the kittens, but he doesn’t want to pet me. I wish that I didn’t try to pick him up today. Losing a kitten’s trust even if for a brief moment since their neuroplasticity is probably off the charts and they will forget, feels like a moral failing. I am sorry little guy and pray that you will accept me once more.

The tortie is a girl kitty and was the shyest of the shy coming in. The body language of such a shy kitten is twitchy, every move calculated like white people speaking at a BLM protest. She suddenly became lively and playful especially with her siblings, all at once. Now I think she enjoys my pets the most.

And then we have the motherrrrrrrr. She has the grace, haughtiness, and build of a 90s supermodel. Beautiful lamplike eyes. I had never got to see the natural instinct of motherhood in a cat before this. Really she stepped up to the task she might not have asked for. What a true and beautiful thing.

I’m proud to shoulder the responsibility of running a kitty boarding school. Each of them do not yet understand that my hands mean no harm. I am confident this will improve!

Going to hopefully write a fashion post next! Yay, love you if you read this