Are You Kitten Me Right Now?

One spring day in 2017, the Humane Society of Westchester posted online that it was “Kitten Season” (who knew?) and they were in need of foster families. We already had a cat and a dog, and we also had a separate room that could serve as the perfect kitten room, so we applied.

We were thrilled to be accepted and absolutely giddy when we came home with three very young, extremely adorable kittens. I mean, was any homework getting done that night? Our main job as fosters was to socialize the kittens and prepare them for successful adoption—truly the best volunteer gig of all time.

That said, it wasn’t all kitten glamour. Sometimes it was harder than we expected.

We cared for disabled, injured, or sick kittens—cases we knew about before bringing them home. Other times, we fostered moms with their babies, especially when the kittens were still nursing, which added another layer of responsibility.

For infant kittens without a mom, we had to bottle-feed them. While incredibly cute and rewarding, it also meant that someone (usually me) was up late at night and early in the morning for regular feedings. Skip one, and you’d have a chorus of very loud, very determined kittens waking up the entire house. Those tiny bodies have surprisingly big voices. Still, watching them fall asleep with full bellies made it all worthwhile.

Over time, we’ve had every kind of kitten: friendly, bold, chatty, silly, shy, playful, cuddly, funny—and yes, plenty of scaredy-cats. And those scaredy-cats? Their transformations are maybe the most meaningful of all. Watching a kitten go from hiding in a corner to climbing into your lap for a nap—that’s the kind of thing that stays with you.

One foster in particular, a slightly older singleton we named Mr. Bojangles, was a total hider-turned-escape artist. Without siblings to keep him busy, he grew comfortable with his surroundings and eventually made it his mission to explore beyond the kitten room.

We were always careful when opening the door, but Mr. Bojangles was lightning fast, darting through even the smallest opening. Once he was out, it became a full-family effort to track him down. He could—and would—hide anywhere: in the laundry, tucked into a shoe, or deep under a bed.

There was something oddly exciting about the search, though. The moment you finally spotted those little eyes staring back at you was a victory. However, we have to hand it to Mr. Bojangles: undisputed hide-and-seek champion.

We eventually found ourselves without pets, and the house just wasn’t the same. So, we adopted two of our fosters– first Winnie, then Minnie. Winnie is our “luxury” cat, long-haired and regal, while Minnie is scrappy and more like the cat Phoebe sings about. Together, they’re hilarious and bring us endless happiness.

Fostering has brought us so much joy. I’m incredibly grateful to the amazing people at The Humane Society of Westchester and all the great pet rescue organizations in our area, not just for their foster programs but for the truly incredible work they do. Their compassion, dedication, and strength in handling difficult situations are nothing short of inspiring.

If you’ve ever considered becoming a foster—whether for cats or dogs—I encourage you to reach out to one of the many wonderful shelters in our area. You might change an animal’s life—and end up changing your own.