A Letter to my Fosters: from MaxFund's Cat Foster Coordinator

Dear Cat and Kitten fosters of MaxFund,  

I adore you. You foster for MaxFund, but I often think of you as MY fosters. I have so much admiration and respect for you. You are cat mom, cat dad, cat sister, cat brother. You are family…to the felines, to MaxFund, to me.  

My Hospice Fosters… You open your heart and home not knowing if you will have a beloved cat for a day or a year. You engage with them as if each day is their first and not perhaps their last.  You are hypervigilant with their care. You open your hearts wide.  You don’t hold back your love. You give them a home.  You give them a family.  You ensure they feel wanted and not discarded. Do you have any idea how much that means to the cat?  Do you have any idea how much that means to me, to MaxFund? When the time comes for these precious beings to cross the Rainbow Bridge, you show up for them. You are present, continuing to love them as they leave this world. What a selfless gift you give them. 

My Kitten Fosters… I never tire of telling interested adopters about you.  The kittens in our Kitten Room post- spay/neuter are loving and socialized because of you.  You teach them manners and help them build confidence.  You engage them in various kinds of play developing their motor skills. You love them. You care for them. Kittens often learn that if they want to be held and cuddled, all they must do is scream non-stop. You spoil them and it shows! Some of you had pregnant mamas with difficult births where one or more kittens didn’t make it. Some of you had kittens in your care who, sadly, didn’t survive long after birth. You care for them all as if they were your own. You emotionally invest without hesitation.    

The heartbreaking part of fostering is, at times, the precious animals are called to cross the Rainbow Bridge. It’s personal, it’s so personal. We cry. We mourn their passing. I care about the animals and I care about you, my dear Fosters.  I don’t want you to be sad, yet I know it’s inevitable when a cat or kitten passes away. Every single time I am right there grieving with you. 

Fosters, you are awesome! You are awe-inspiring! We are in this together - you and me and MaxFund and the cats and kittens that come to us and then go to you and eventually to their adoptive home.  The good times.  The funny times. The uncertain times. The scary times. The sad times. My heart swells with love and gratitude for each and every one of you. We laugh. We cry both happy and sad tears. We gasp – how can such tiny kittens make such a mess as they’re learning how to use the litter box? We chuckle. We cringe - cat and kitten poops are no joke sometimes.  

Just as each of the cats and/or kittens you have fostered carry a part of you with them their entire lives, I carry a part of you with me. Your levels of dedication and compassion are exemplary. Quite simply and honestly…it is beyond words. You don’t hold back. You love. Oh how you love! Deeply. You love because it’s what these innocent, meaningful lives deserve. You love because it’s who you are. I feel like we are family. I feel like you are all my friends and my family. Yes, we are in this together!      

The cats and kittens are furry treasures who are blessed to be in your care temporarily and you, too, are treasures. You are pure gold – solid, exquisite, so very valuable. There will never be enough words to properly express how grateful I am for you, thank you! 

With deepest gratitude,   

your Cat Foster Coordinator,  

Shelly