Being foster mom to strays is cat's meow

Recently, two kittens were abandoned on a front lawn. Each had a shriveled hind leg, apparently the result of someone tying a string or a rubber band around the leg, cutting off circulation.

The woman who found the kittens called Save Our Strays, a volunteer organization that cares for abandoned or homeless cats. One kitten had lost a leg, and the other lost a leg soon after. Think of the pain these kittens must have suffered. The deliberate cruelty is incomprehensible.

The kittens were named Tai and Crystal. Tai, a male that looks as if he might be of the Maine Coon breed, also had an open wound on his side, perhaps a cigarette burn. Both kittens have recovered and are healthy and frisky. By the time you read this, they probably will have been adopted.

Dave Amick, a retired postal service worker, is one of the Save Our Strays volunteers. He picks ups the strays, takes them to the vet and shuttles them to pet stores for adoption. He drove about 28,000 miles last year caring for cats. More than 400 cats were adopted from Save Our Strays in 2001.

Another volunteer is Sandy Dorton, a retired veterinary technician. With her medical background, she is able to take the kitties with special needs. She has cared for cats with cerebral palsy, epilepsy, cancer, blindness and deafness. None of the cats are euthanized unless they are in intractable pain or suffering from leukemia.

Most of the cats are in good health. They bring joy to their foster homes, where they are pampered until they are ready for adoption. The cost of adoption is $40, which includes exam, testing for leukemia, vaccination for distemper and rabies, deworming and microchips for identification in case the cat gets lost.

I have been a foster cat mom for five years. I bought a bulletin board and posted it over the cat food dishes in the kitchen. There I put pictures of all my foster cats. I've had to buy two more bulletin boards. Over the past five years, I have cared for more than 60 cats. They stay from three days to three months. Recently, I had a mom cat and her two newborns. They stayed for three months.

Currently, I have two females, Ginger and Catalina. They will be here until they are fixed. After they recover from surgery, they will be adopted.

"Isn't it hard to give them up?" people ask. Yes, it is. But another one, or two or three, is always coming. I love them all, and I've met a lot of really swell cats.

Animals are often our best, most dependable friends. Some humans are irresponsible and cruel to animals, and because of that, too many kittens are born and then abandoned.

Help is needed. Save Our Strays does not have a care facility and depends on volunteer homes. Workers will meet and interview prospective caretakers. Dave takes cats to the vet and returns them so volunteers do not have to drive. Save Our Strays pays for the medical care from donations. The cats must be kept indoors.

If you would like to care for cats in your home, adopt one or make a donation, call (727) 896-4452.

- Dakota Eliason is the author of Kitchen Tables and Other Midlife Musings. Write to her in care of Seniority, St. Petersburg Times, P.O. Box 1121, St. Petersburg, FL 33731; or send e-mail to Dakota.one2@verizon.net

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