Remember these cuties? This is Walker and Monroe at 4 months old. they had just come to live with me as their foster mom. I think they had just been with the rescue center for a few weeks and before that was with their mom in an abandonded apartment. They had other brothers and sisters, but these two are the only survivors of the litter.
I’ve been a cat mom for decades, but all my kitties were at minimum 2 years old before they came to live with me. Little did I know what awaited me.
One year later, and oh so may experiences! First — their mom is a “Foster Failure”. The first few months were busy. It felt like I was running back and forth with them to the rescue center every week. First with shots, then with spay and neuter appointments, then the round of ringworm. As soon as they were healed and I felt I could really work with them on training and behavior, the rescue wanted me to take them to the pet store for an adoption event. I couldn’t loose them! I’d grown so attached. And I was so afraid someone would not be careful or understand that kitty behavior is not the same as adult behavior.
To foster or to parent? That is the question ….
My decision to foster came after the loss of my beloved Hoshi. Hoshi and Lilly had been with me for close to 20 years. Lilly crossed the rainbow bridge a year before. With both my babies gone, the house was lonely. We were still in lock down and I was depressed. I knew that adopting a pet wasn’t the right answer for the pet, it would be an action that was purely for me and not for the benefit of the fur baby.
There are a number of You Tube videos about the importance of fostering and how fosters are needed. But what these videos don’t talk about is how hard it is to get attached to these babies then give them up. What I didn’t know about the adoption process was if I would be involved. Would I get a chance to meet the potential fur parents and talk with them about these babies? Could I explain to them how Walker is very shy and needs to have interactive toys to come out of his shell? Or how Monroe likes to chew on things and they needed to be very careful of what she could get ahold of?
All I knew was I was supposed to take them to the pet store and that was it. NO! I could not do it. So I told the rescue not to bother, I was adopting them. Foster Failure! Possibly part of the failure was on the rescue center’s sholders also. As a new foster mom, I didn’t know all the processes. I asked questions, but was not getting answers. I’m sure they were overwhelmed with additional work over the pandemic, but there had to be processes in place to vet future fur parents. Simply signing an agreement didn’t seem like vetting to me.
Life with my babies
Over the past year, Walker and Monroe have gone through their teen years and are nearing adulthood. At 1 year old, cats are the equivalent of a 15 year old and at 2 years they are approximately 24 in human years. They have grown so much and come so far. I’m so proud of my babies.
Miss Monroe
Walker and Monroe fit in a single travel cage on their trip home. The first one to venture out of the travel cage — Monroe. At the rescue center, Monroe was out and about, playing on her own and very independent. She still is. My sister was able to coax her out from under the bed with treats and Monroe had not even met yer yet. Monroe thinks things through. She love’s her puzzle toys.
Scientists say cats have an attention span of 2 to 15 minutes. Monroe’s is a little longer. I’ve watched her watching birds and squirles in the yard or even kitty TV on YouTube for over 15 minutes. When it comes to the hunt, she’d rather stalk and and pounce than chase.
Monroe still has a tendency to lick me, but she doesn’t go for the cords as much as she did as a kitten. She has learned that I don’t want her to chew on those, but it’s ok to chew on her kitty grass. She still is a bit of a thief. She likes to steal my pens and she will create stashes of toys in hiding places around the house.
Mr. Walker
Walker is still the shy one. At first, when someone would ring the doorbell, he ran and hid. When he saw the yard guys pull up, he ran and hid. Now, he watches the yard guys and just perks his head when someone comes to the door — unless they come in the house! The first few days, after Monroe was the first to venture out, Walker was the first to play with toys. Today, he is the more aggressive when it comes to play time. He loves to chase the robot mice.
Monroe’s reaction to the mouse is about the same as Walker’s reaction to the puzzle toy’s. But you can see, Walker is all for the chase!
Over the pat few months, Walker has become the “Office Kitty”. He stays in the office with me more than Monroe. He seems to have a sixth sense about when I start to get stressed because that is when he decides it’s time to cuddle. His idea of cuddle insists of me taking my hands off the keyboard! Just a few minutes and when I’m calm, he goes back to the window bed.
Changing behavior and settling into a routine
Over the past few months, Walker and Monroe have established a routine. They still cuddle, but seem to have outgrown some of their cuddle spots. The picture on the left is six months ago in the office window bed and the picture on the right is a few weeks ago. What a difference six months makes! I think they are full grown now.
Morning starts with breakfast. I used to use the center island for cooking, but these cuties had different ideas. For the first year, I had a hard time cooking because it was hard to keep them off the counter top around the stove. It took a lot of patience and practice, but eventually, I’m back to cooking my meals now instead of microwaving.
Training a kitty takes patience and forethought. For every “No”, provide a “Yes”. For example, I don’t want them to claw my furniture. Therefore, I cover the furniture and provide scratching posts. I don’t want them on the counter where the stove is, so I put a can of SCATT on that side and provide a Kitty Tower of Power on the other side of the room.
Kitties are full of energy and need an outlet. Interactive play with teaser toys may not have the same energy level as when they are zooming around the house, but it does give them bonding play time with you. We have at least two play times a day, usually in the afternoon and evening. The routine is hunt/eat/sleep. First they hunt the teaser, then they get a treat, after which they take a nap.
We celebrated our 1 year anniversary last January and this coming September, these two precious babies will celebrate their 2 year birthdays. They have brought me joy, love, companionship. I pray I give them a safe, happy, healthy life. Here’s to the further adventures of Mr. Walker Texas Ranger and Miss Marylin Monroe!
Wow! What an incredible story! It’s amazing how quickly you grew attached to the two of them and all that you went through to ensure they had a forever home. Thank you for sharing your experience and for all that you did for Walker and Monroe. You are a true hero!
Thank you. We each filled a void in the other’s lives.
Thank you for sharing this story! It’s amazing to see the transformation of these two gorgeous cats. It’s wonderful that you opened your home and heart to them and gave them the chance of a lifetime. Thank you for being such a caring foster mom!
Thanks. These sweeties make being a kitty mom enjoyable and fun.
What an incredible journey you have been through with Walker and Monroe! It’s so sweet that you became their foster mom and ultimately adopted them. It’s amazing how much love and care you have given them and how far they have come. Thank you for sharing your story and for being such a great cat mom!
Thank you!
What a wonderful story! You have done an amazing job with these little cuties, and I’m so glad they found a loving home with you. It must have been an incredible experience, and I’m sure they are so happy and healthy now. Thank you for sharing this story!
My prayer for all my fur babies has been for them to live happy, healty lives. I wish all fur babies can have the same. Thank you!
It’s so heart-warming to see how much they’ve grown, and how much you’ve done for them. Seeing the bond between you and your cats is truly a beautiful thing. Thank you for sharing your story!
Thank you
Thank you for sharing your experience of becoming a foster mom. It’s amazing to see how much Walker and Monroe have grown and changed in the last year. It’s clear that you have a special bond with them and it’s wonderful that you decided to keep them for yourself. Thank you for your inspiring story!
Thank you. They are sweeties!
What a wonderful story! It was so heartwarming to see the journey these two have been through and how much you have done for them. Thank you for sharing and being such a great foster mom!
Thanks for sharing this wonderful story! These two kitties sound so lucky to have found a loving home with you. It’s great that you have been able to give them a secure, stable home. Thank you for all the love and care you have given them!
Thank you.
This post is amazing! It’s so heartwarming to see the journey of Walker and Monroe. You are such a great foster mom and it’s amazing to hear how the experience changed you. I can’t imagine how hard it was for you to go through the ringworm and all the other appointments. It’s wonderful to hear that you ended up keeping them! Thank you for sharing your story, it’s really inspiring.
Thank you. My experience taught me that fostering isn’t for everyone, and I’m one of them! I’m a mmuch better fur parent. 🙂
Stumbled across your post on the WordPress feed and just wanted to send a friendly shout-out! Your content caught my attention, and I’m excited to explore more of your captivating posts. Although I couldn’t locate the follow button (haha!) , I’ll definitely keep it in my reading list! Rest assured, I’ll be on the lookout for your future posts.
Wishing you continued inspiration and success in your blogging journey!
Warm regards,
Thanks – TheDogGod pomeranianpuppies.uk
Thank you for the kind words. I’ve been a little lax on posts these past few weeks but hope to get some new material out soon. I’ll have to look for that follow button. 🙂 It must be hiding under the bed with the cats!