One of the things we’ve done in the past is foster kittens (and a dog, once). We took an unplanned break for a little over a year…for whatever reason we didn’t hear from our local humane society. Then, in April we got a call asking if we would be willing to foster 3 2-week old kittens. Of course I said yes! Look how tiny they are!

Can they be any cuter? So tiny!

These kittens needed to be fed about every 4 hours. Just like having a newborn baby!

All three of my kids were eager to help feed them! I would prepare the bottles and they would take turns. My teenage daughter frequently got up with me in the night to feed them – such a big help especially since we had to be up early to get ready for school.

It was neat to watch them grow – from wobbly little kittens who kind of staggered around and mostly would eat and sleep. Oh, and did I mention – kittens don’t pee and poop on their own. Normally momma cat would lick their bottoms to make them go…so, besides middle of the night feedings, we also had to wipe them with a damp cloth to help them.

About two weeks into our fostering, we got a wonderful call – a mamma cat had been brought back in by another foster. If we were willing to try, we could see if she would accept our foster kittens. We were definitely willing! Peaches made a great surrogate momma cat!

It was so nice to not have to get up in the night to feed them, plus she was a sweet cat.

Under her care, they slowly grew.

They became playful little things! Climbing and chasing everything.

Eventually came the day they were old enough and big enough to be spayed/neutered and then put up for adoption. It’s always a happy/sad day for us. We’re sad to see them go, but we know that we’ve helped them be well socialized little kitties who are ready for their forever home. Plus, taking care of kittens is a lot of work and we were ready for a break.

Not a very long break though – they had more itty bitty kitties that needed fostering. We had to wait until school was out for the summer to get them. The last few days of school always seem to drag….now they seemed to drag even more! Finally, the last day came and on our way home, we stopped and picked up our next batch of foster kitties.

These guys also had to be fed about every 4 hours. Fortunately we didn’t have to get up for school, so middle of the night feedings weren’t so bad.

The little black kitties lived in our daughter’s room. That worked, except kittens are messy. They’re just learning to use a litter box and frequently choose other places to go. To avoid a repeat, these kitties stayed on the lanai during the day and then spent the night in her room.

They loved being out there! They could bask in the sun all day. Plus, we put some fun toys out for them like this cardboard carpet roll.

We would find them curled up asleep in random places like on the corner of an afghan.

It’s amazing how fast they grow!

We don’t realize how much they’ve grown, until we compare pictures!

Kitten crashes are so cute! They just go and go until they can’t.

Because the kittens were on our lanai and much more visible to our resident cat (as opposed to being in a separate room where he can’t see them), we decided to try introducing them. We really didn’t know what to expect. Our cat is a male (fixed, but still…). He surprised us! He gave the kittens baths, was tolerant of their constant attempts to play with his tail, and even played with them a bit.

All to soon it was time to say good bye.

Saying good-bye is never easy, but I always remind my kids that by taking care of the kittens and loving them, we helped make them adoptable.