Okay, I ask just one thing…

On second thought, you have every right to judge me, or anyone else for that matter. But I hope you’ll be gentle. Just remember, my intentions were good. I had no desire to have a seventh cat. That’s right. I have another cat.

Call me a crazy cat lady because only one part of that sentence is accurate. I AM a cat lady, that’s true. And for that matter, a dog lady with four dogs. But by definition, I’m not actually crazy. Trust me here. But have you noticed people with a bunch of dogs aren’t considered loony?

I’ll get back to you on that. Anyway, as you know, I run a nonprofit feral cat rescue. As you can imagine, we come across a ton of cats needing vet care, fostering, spay/neuter, and on and on. It’s a never ending challenge providing humane care and management for these felines, but it’s also incredibly rewarding to positively impact a life in need.

I say all this to blunt the inevitable, “WHAT?! You have SEVEN cats?! What’s WRONG with you, lady!?” Actually that’s never been uttered in my presence but raised eyebrows are a dead giveaway. But hey, I forgive you.

When one is in rescue, one comes across hundreds, if not thousands, of animals that need care and compassion. In our case with Marin Friends of Ferals, we’ve helped (so far) 3,437 cats have a better life (including some dogs). But there are times when we trap feral kittens who need fostering to become adoptable adults. And therein lies the issue.

Our partner, Marin Humane, has a ton of volunteers who prefer to foster the cute little cuddly, adorable, playful, and sweet domestic kittens. And good for them. We, on the other hand, have only a handful of people willing to take in skitties (skittish kitties) who desperately need socializing. Consequently, yours truly has fostered 259 feral kittens. Here’s a sample…

And here’s where I hope you’ll cut me a break. Of all those fosters, I’ve only kept seven (emphasis on ONLY). Hold the applause please; you’re embarrassing me. That being said, I do think my constraint is commendable under the circumstances. I mean, if I were an actual crazy cat lady, I’d have quite a few more, wouldn’t you agree?

Now don’t get me wrong; it’s emotionally wrenching to relinquish kittens for adoption. Sometimes it takes weeks or even months to get those little buggers comfy enough to climb onto my lap while I’m working at my desk because by then we’ve formed a bond. Once they become friendly, engaging little nuisances to where I can’t get my work done, I know I’ve done my job and they’re ready for an indoor home and the cushy life they deserve. Here’s before and after…

Having said that, there are cats we call “tweeners”—too feral to be adopted yet too domestic to have to live a feral life. Those situations cause me sleepless nights, and as you know, sleeping is challenging for me. Anyway, we end up with tweeners when we don’t find feral kittens until they’re three to four months old. Socializing those can be challenging because to them humans are scary.

Anyway, all my animals are rescues, including my 4 dogs. And since I had no intention of keeping this failed foster, I’m not prepared to introduce her to you quite yet. I’ll save that until next week once I’ve named her. Suggestions are welcomed!

So yes, I did it again but I’m not sorry. At least not yet…