Laura's Big Adventures: Foster Cats of Denver

So, the thing that happened in 2020 was, there was a pandemic. And I thought, like every single other person in America, "I should get a pet to keep me company during the pandemic." I also decided to start fostering through Dumb Friends League instead of RMFR...DFL is literally 5 minutes from my house, RMFR is about 25. It's not that big a deal if you're going there once and adopting a cat, but I'm going there a lot, to pick up cats, take them to vet appointments, etc. It took a while for them to approve me to foster, partly because of the pandemic, but eventually I started fostering with them. 2020 ended, but the pandemic didn't. Here's my pandemic pets of 2020.

March 12- March 22, 2020: Louise

Louise was a sweet little thing who didn't stay with me long (adopted!) but I liked her. She was cute and cuddly. She liked to be by me while I was working from home, but I was trying to have a standing desk, so I found a way for her to still hang out close by.

Those eyes, though!

Who doesn't love kitty snuggles?

Kitty in a drawer- the work-from-home solution!

Trust me, she could have gotten out if she wanted to. It's just a laundry basket.

July 19- August 8, 2020: Small Eyes (Earl Grey) (Nameless kitten)

Now that I was working from home, I decided I was ready to try fostering a kitten. I never wanted to before, because it would be alone in the house the whole day. I'm still not ready for a kitten kitten, so I got a 3-month old kitten, who could eat food and use a litterbox. And ermegerd, was this kitten cute. He arrived without a name, and the shelter said I could name him. I held a poll on facebook, with the following name choices, which were suggested by family and friends: 1.Mushroom 2.Toby 3.Small Eyes 4.Garth 5.Noodle 6.Simon 7.Thin Mint 8.Earl Grey 9.Tiger 10.Peter (Pan) 11.Spock 12.Frank or Frankie 13.Nermal 14.Seaweed 15.Pesto

Earl Grey won the facebook voting, but Small Eyes won my private voting, because Orion thought he should be named that after they got to meet each other on zoom. I will always commit voter fraud if it involves a four year old naming a kitten.

Small Eyes was so cute and so kitten-y. I confined him to the hallway and bathroom, and eventually let him into my room as well, but I just thought he could get into way too much trouble out in the main room. He loved hiding under the footstool in the bathroom, and he was so adorable when he cuddled. Kitten claws are ridiculous, though. Why so sharp!? It was fun having a kitten, and I think I could do it again, maybe once a year, and only if I'm working from home. Taking him back was almost heartbreaking, he could sense he was leaving and he hid in the teeny gap between my mattress and headboard, in a last-ditch effort to stay with me.

Kitty calendar- July?

I can't even.

oh.my.god. 💚

His favorite hiding place.

He enjoyed watching Kimmy Schmidt...

But he did not like reading!

If you can't reach me, you can't make me leave...

Aug 28- Sept 8ish, 2020: Windsor and Sammie

Windsor and Sammie were a special fostering situation. Denver Dumb Friends League offers a program called Pet Assist which is a short-term fostering for people in crisis- if you've been evicted, hospitalized, etc, you can foster your cats for up to a month. So Windsor and Sammie came to stay with me while their person was getting things in order. I also have never two cats at once before, but it was great! They played together, kept each other company, and weren't any more work than having one.

Windsor on the left, Sammie on the right

Sammie: So, you want to work? What are you gonna do about it??

Windsor: Your mom told you cats are scared of cucumbers? um...okay...

Sleepy friends

October 4-13: Hope

Hope was one of the best cats I fostered. She liked belly rubs and cuddles, but didn't cling to me, and stayed off the counters! She was only with me briefly, because she was getting treatment for a cold and got better quite quickly. I almost adopted her, but I just wasn't ready, and someone adopted her right away.

Belly rub ready

Working from home goals achieved

The cat spilled everywhere.

Dec 13th, 2020- Jan 8th, 2021: Oreo

Oreo was a great roommate cat for me. He had all my favorite cat characteristics- he didn't bother me while I was eating, using the toilet, using my computer, or sleeping. He didn't wake me up in the morning yowling for food. He was tidy around the litterbox and food. He was pretty great. Oreo was extremely shy, and spent the entire first 10 hours with me in his crate. Then he spent the next 3 days hiding under a shelf. After that he slowly warmed up, and by the time he left, he was choosing to come sit next to me on the couch for a cuddle. He liked the laser pointer and he really liked dirty laundry- I'd frequently find dirty socks up on the couch with him. He was a good boy. He was with me for a little while, but someone saw his info on the website and adopted him!