Fostering Hope
Mama cat needs your help raising well-adjusted and socialized kittens.
With summer in full swing, kittens, with or without mothers, are overflowing the Lakewood Animal Shelter. Fostering means opening your home to provide the care and socialization these young kittens need until ready to adopt. This usually lasts around six to eight weeks depending on the age of the kittens. The advantages of being in a home are innumerable compared with a kitten that spends his or her whole life in a cage with little to no interaction with people. The Citizens Committee for the Lakewood Animal Shelter assists with arranging for foster care for these litters and will reimburse for some food and supplies, when possible. The main problem is that there are usually too many litters and not enough foster homes to place them in. For those with the means and time please seriously consider fostering kittens for the Lakewood Animal Shelter.
Serving as a foster volunteer is a great opportunity for children and parents to work together, knowing that they are supporting a critical part of life for these animals. It is also a great opportunity for people who are unable to care for a pet long term, but would like to help however they can. Having a litter of kittens in your home and watching them grow is quite a joy. Some may think it difficult to give the litter up when they are ready for adoption, but knowing that you have given them the best start possible to life is worth the small bit of heartache you experience when they leave for their forever homes. It’s also a great way to choose a new pet for yourself, getting to know the personalities of a whole litter to see who would be the best fit for your family.
For more information about fostering for the Lakewood Animal Shelter, visit www.cclas.info, email cclasfoster@yahoo.com or call the shelter at (216) 529-5020. Donating supplies to the shelter is also a great way to help for those who can’t commit to caring for a litter.
Wish list for foster care donation: Gift cards for Local Pet Stores, KMR - Powdered Kitten Milk Replacement Formula, Cat/Kitten Canned/Dry Food, Dog/Puppy Canned/Dry Food, Clay Litter, Cat toys, Animal Carriers, Animal Crates, and Small Animal Nursing Bottles.