Meet Hadley
Hadley has been a cat person all her life. She shares her home with three resident kitties (including one former SAFe foster), her husband and three children. Her parents reside in the apartment downstairs.
Seven people and three cats might sound like a full house to some. But after four years fostering, Hadley confesses that “[The house] always seems too quiet when we don’t have a set of fosters.”
Why She Fosters
Hadley and her family took in their first foster litter during the summer of 2020.
“At the time, my three kids had been out of school and isolated from their friends for almost six months,” Hadley says. “We all needed a new focus in our lives.”
Starting off with a mama cat and her five kittens, Hadley’s household discovered the new focus they were looking for and more.
“Working to meet their needs helped bring purpose and joy to a very challenging time,” she says.
Everyone in the family has their role. Hadley’s husband has perfected the art of wrangling and holding cats for medication administration, while her parents are on-call sitters whenever the family is away. Not only do the kids help shy kittens socialize; they also provide them with creative stimulation in the form of homemade cardboard box houses.
Rewards + Challenges
When asked for fostering highlights, Hadley says: “First purrs are my favorite.” The more time it takes to bring a cat out of their shell, the more rewarding it is to finally reach the point where, “One day they’re climbing into your lap, purring and flopping over for a belly rub.”
Sometimes the biggest challenges lead to the biggest breakthroughs. Hadley recalls a five-week-old kitten who resisted eating even as his siblings gobbled down their meals. She tried everything–watering down his food, warming it up, even syringe-feeding–but the little guy wouldn’t take one bite. So Hadley had to think outside the box.
“I tried putting the formula on my finger and smearing it on his face so he had no choice but to lick it off,” Hadley says. “It was a very slow method, but after a few “finger feeds,” he perked up and was willing to take the syringe, and then gradually began eating from a bowl like his siblings.”
The experience taught Hadley a valuable lesson: just like people, every cat is an individual. That means no method is one size fits all.
“Sometimes it takes a lot of trial and error to figure out what works!” She says.
Advice to Future Fosters
For those considering joining the cat fostering community, Hadley recommends communicating with your foster team early and often.
“If there’s ever something you’re worried about, even if you’re not sure if it’s a problem, I’d definitely send an email to the team,” Hadley says. “It’s better to catch problems early than get in over your head.”
Hadley also has this feedback for adopters of former foster kitties: don’t be a stranger!
“I love it when our kittens’ adopters stay in touch and send us photos of them in their new homes,” she says. “It’s so rewarding to hear about the joy these cats bring to the humans who love them.”
Thank you, Hadley and team, for opening your home and hearts to cats in need. Your hard work makes a world of difference for someone’s future furry family members!
