Being a Fur Mom is one of my most important roles in life. I officially became a Fur Mom right after my 25th birthday when I adopted my first cat Jack. Jack was about six weeks old when I found him at my local animal shelter. He was in the kennel with his litter mates and immediately jumped out at me; this little ball of fluffy fur climbed the metal cage door, meowing so loud to get my attention. My entire life changed that day.
Here I am with Jack when he was about 6 months old.
I grew up with dogs and they were fantastic family pets. Especially my dog Champ, who was a cocker/terrier mix I got to pick out as a puppy. He was my soul dog in many ways but still had a strong bond with everyone in my family. Once I was living on my own, I wanted to start my fur family but couldn’t adopt a dog due to the apartments I was living in. After falling in love with a kitten adopted by a close friend, I decided to adopt my first cat. Jack truly changed my life. He made me a Fur Mom, Cat Mom, and crazy Cat Lady!
Here is Jack on my lap in our apartment in Los Angeles. Back in 2015 I had to commute from Bakersfield for work during the week and Jack traveled with me.
Since Jack I have rescued and adopted four more cats and fostered several kittens. Now don't get me wrong, I still LOVE dogs too. That's why I work and volunteer with dogs at my local animal shelter. Although I am constantly trying to convince my husband to adopt a dog, it is not the right time for us to add to our fur family. Maybe it’s the right time for you?
Here I am at adoption events for my local county animal shelter. These dogs were the lucky ones, getting out of the shelter and finding their forever homes.
There are so many incredible dogs and cats currently available at animal shelters around the country. In California, shelters are so overcrowded that perfectly healthy dogs and cats are being euthanized simply for space. It's heartbreaking. If you are considering adopting a new pet, the time is now! Please consider going to your local animal shelter and saving a life. If it is not right for you to adopt, consider donating, volunteering, or fostering. Shelters and animal rescues everywhere need volunteers and fosters desperately.
Here I am with an adoptable kitten when I volunteered at my local shelter. Just a few hours helping out and cleaning cat and kitten cages has a huge impact at a busy animal shelter.
Did you know that fostering saves lives? Becoming a foster parent for animal shelters is pretty simple, but hugely impactful. For every dog or cat that can be placed in a foster home, one space or kennel in the shelter is opened for another animal to be saved. When you foster, the shelter you work with will provide all the food and medical care at no cost to you. The animals just need space in your home and for you to love and care for them. There is absolutely no commitment from you to adopt the pets you foster.
Fosters for puppies and kittens are even more valuable. Most shelters are not legally allowed to keep animals under a certain age within the shelter because they need round the clock care. So fostering is the only way to keep them safe until they are old enough to be adopted.
Here is a photo of a two-week old kitten I fostered. She was much too young to live in the shelter without a mother cat. She needed to be fed every two hours to survive and flourish.
I love being able to help animals in need by fostering. I fostered a litter of six kittens’ last fall. They were two weeks old when I brought them home and needed to be bottle fed every two hours. It was a big time commitment for me, but oh so worth it. The joy of seeing a kitten flourish and grow up big and strong is immeasurable. We decided to adopt one of the kittens, a calico named Pumpkin who I had become attached to early on. All five of her siblings were also adopted into homes of their own. Without me taking them in as fosters, they could have been euthanized due to their age.
Here is baby Pumpkin, my foster fail kitten, right after a delicious bottle.
Here I am with Pumpkin and one of her brothers, Harry. This is the day I took them all back to the shelter. I adopted Pumpkin that day and her siblings where placed in the shelter and adopted over the next few days. Harry was so popular; he was adopted within a few hours of this photo.
Fostering saved the lives of Pumpkin and her siblings. If you are considering fostering, you can learn more about the power of fostering in episode 28 of the podcast. Listen to my conversation with my guest Melissa Brunson, Executive Director of Marley’s Mutts Dog Rescue and fellow devoted Fur Mom. We discuss the real struggles within animal rescue and the importance fostering helping animals in need.
Learn more about fostering by listening to episode 28 now.
Here I am volunteering at Marley's Mutts Rescue Ranch in Tehachapi, CA.
Here are some of the adorable puppies available for adoption at Marley's Mutts Dog Rescue.
Click here to learn more about Marley's Mutts Dog Rescue.
No matter what type of pets you have, being a Fur Mom is an amazing job! My current fur family consists of all types of pets. From our cats and tortoises to tarantulas and scorpions, we always have a wide variety. We even rescued a baby possum last year. Once he was full grown and adjusted to living outside, he moved on to create his own possum family. Caring for animals, no matter the breed, is a privilege.
Here is my cat Frenchie and her brother, Rufus, the tortoise.
Our tortoises Rufus and Spike.
Our rescue possum William. My husband found him inside a classroom in a cabinet. We raised him until he was able to survive on his own back out in the wild.
Being able to change the entire world for one pet is a powerful feeling. It is even greater when you realize how that one pet is changing your life, forever. The bond we develop with our fur babies is like that of the bond between parents and human children. There have been studies done looking at the brain activity of parents when shown photos of their human kids and photos of their fur kids. What has been documented shows that the same areas of the brain light up in both cases, but the love we feel for our pets is still unique. I discussed the power of this bond in episode 27 of the podcast with my guest and fellow Fur Mom, Amanda Sue Creasey.
Listen to my conversation about our bond with pets in episode 27 now.
Now, I want to hear from all of you! I have set up an audio inbox for you to record and send me a message about your experience as a Fur Mom. You can talk as little or as long as you want. I am going to use pieces of your recordings in upcoming episodes of my podcasts. So, click the link below and record your story.
Here are a few questions I would love to hear you answer:
-When did you officially become a Fur Mom?
-What do you love most about being a Fur Mom?
-What does being a Fur Mom mean to you?
Record your message about being a Fur Mom here.
Do you love being a Fur Mom and want to meet others like you? Then come join the Fur Mom Tribe Membership!
What is the Fur Mom Tribe? It is a private, members only Facebook group will give us all a safe space to share, support and discuss important topics about our fur families, animal advocacy, improving mental health, and more.
Members only events will include:
-1:1 and Group sessions about turning your passion into purpose.
-Monthly Live Learning Sessions on topics around improving our mental health, avoiding burnout, and building self compassion.
-Monthly Live Collaborative Sessions on topics around animal welfare, advocacy, and how to better help animals in need.
-Quarterly Book Club Meetings.
-And More!
