Trust:
firm belief in the reliability, truth, ability, or strength of
someone or something
On May 22nd, AACC foster mom, Diane, accepted the challenge of raising two kittens with trust issues (in other words: they were terrified of people). Not only did she have to care for their physical needs, she also had to convince them that people aren’t so scary.
And that can be tougher than you may think.
Here’s how it went in Diane’s own words:
“It took me at least 3 weeks to be able to pick up Zink without leather gloves. He was still hissing at me for almost a month, running and trying to hide to avoid being picked up, and even now, he must be approached in certain, slow, patient ways in order for him to allow me to touch him. Even though he’d contentedly purr on my shoulder several times a day, the next time I would try to approach him, he’d hiss, run, hide and resist, then again melt into the petting once held. This went on and on. In time, he stopped hissing and running, very gradually. He is so worth the wait though! He is a gentle, wonderfully affectionate cat, once he is ready. One of those cats that never puts their claws out when touching me. He will playfully bat my fingers/hand with his soft little paws without using his nails. He loves to be held on my shoulder, and purrs madly, ceaselessly, and is never in a hurry to be put down.
Fauci was never afraid to be touched, has allowed me to pick him up from Day 1 and is way more bold, adventurous and athletic than Zink. He flies around like an acrobat, is full of mischief, a total delight. Although he is much more outgoing and less afraid, he also hid when put in new places, along with Zink.”
“I am taking them to more rooms and an outdoor screened porch, out of their normal spot in a guest bedroom/bathroom. They were scared the first time they were put in another room, but more curious and adventurous the next time on the screened porch, and each new location takes less time for them to settle down and enjoy.”
“They LOVE my 3-year old female cat. When they were first here, so afraid and sick that I could not coax them out of their carrier even with food or any toy, they would come RUNNING over to see my cat, Van Gogh. She, unfortunately, hissed at them, so I could not allow any direct contact, but I’d carry her into the room as a magnet to get them out of their corner and it worked very time. If she comes near them, they stop whatever they are doing and run to her. They reach their little paws through the bars that separate them from her and try go “pet” her.”
Once Fauci and Zink had resolved their trust issues, they were ready to leave the nest of their foster home. Like all good foster moms, Diane did her own social media marketing with a personal plea on her social media page:
“We are ready for our forever home, please.” Yes, Fauci and Zink are healthy, neutered, perfectly litter-box trained, and ready for a permanent home, together, with the right person who will patiently coax them past their initial shyness. The reward is two of the most playful, snuggly, purrrrrrrrring, and stunningly beautiful kitties ever.”
And her efforts paid off:
“What a happy ending to my kitty fostering adventure! These cuties’ rough start in life has turned around and they are now two of the luckiest kitties I know. They were adopted today and are now settling into their new home of kind, experienced, ardent cat lovers. I am so lucky to know where they’ve landed, and to be able to hear about how they are doing.”
Smokey (was Fauci) and Frankie (was Zink) are now settling in to their new home. Their mom tells us ““They are settling in just fine, and my granddaughters love them as much as my daughter and I do. I’m working from home, for the most part, and we had a wonderful day today. They were inquisitive and playful and VERY hungry!”
And this is why we’re eternally grateful to our foster moms – they truly SAVE LIVES.
If you are interested in fostering, you can find more information and an application on our website.
Anchorage Animal Care and Control 