Abigail ’27 is fostering and socializing feral cats this summer, using patience, care, and trust-building to help them overcome fear of humans and prepare for adoption into loving homes.
My goal this summer is to help cats in my local area to learn to trust humans and help them find a good home. My focus was on cats that were feral, because shelters have a tougher time adopting them and they aren’t able to get the attention they need to be ready for their forever home. The first foster experience I had was last winter, fostering two kittens named Leo and Linus. After my experience of taking care of them, gaining their trust, getting to know them, and then sending them to their new home together, I knew that cat fostering was something that I would love to continue to do. But cat care – especially for ones that never had a home – is expensive, so when I learned about summer grants at Deerfield Academy I knew that was how I wanted to spend my summer.
I reached out to a local independent cat foster that I worked with before to foster Leo and Linus. That is when I met Moon – the fluffy black cat – and Molly – the striped gray cat. They were found and caught in a low-income housing complex where they had been living for who knows how long without a home. When I first brought them home, they were immediately more of a challenge. When I first put them in their crate to give them more comfort before they explored my room, Moon hid and Molly put up a fight. In the first few weeks they hissed when I got near to them and Molly would lay on Moon to protect her. But I’m so proud of the progress they have made.
By showing Moon and Molly care, giving them a clean space, food and lots of treats, and being patient with them, I’ve been able to help show them that not all humans are scary. After about a month and a half of taking care of them, Molly has become friendlier than I could have hoped. She now approaches me, asks for pets, rolls around and enjoys belly rubs, makes lots of chirping noises, occasionally lets me hold her, and has lovingly come to be known as the “biscuit maker” because of her rapid kneading when she wants pets. Molly even has grown to trust other people and let my younger cousins pet her. Moon still has more progress to make before she goes to her forever home, but she doesn’t run away whenever she sees people, is willing to leave Molly’s side, approaches me and rubs against furniture and rolls around showing her belly like Molly does when she wants pets, even though she refuses to be touched unless I bribe her with soft treats and rub her chin. Once they are both friendly enough for a home, they will go as a bonded pair because they have shown they need each other and trust people more when they are together. I hope that I can continue to gain their trust and help them find a forever home, and I hope that I am able to help more cats in need.
