Pets get help at foster homes

The hills are alive with the sound of ... meowing. Well, not the hills really, but my spare bedroom, which has been the temporary home for six kittens named after the children in “The Sound of Music.” They came to me in May when I volunteered to become a foster mom for the

Fayette Humane Society during the height of “kitten season.”

Spring is when shelters and rescue groups are flooded with kittens born either to stray mothers or to cats whose owners failed to get them spayed. This bounty of babies strains the resources of organizations that struggle yearround to take care of homeless animals.

The Fayette County Animal Shelter accepts strays but not owner-surrendered pets. Although some people confuse the two, the Fayette Humane Society is an independent nonprofit that operates separately from the shelter, but whose shared goal is to find homes for hundreds of cats and dogs each year.

FHS relies on volunteers who care for animals in their own homes until “forever homes” can be found. FHS pays for food and veterinary care; the fosters provide love and space.

Julie Lueder coordinates the cat foster system for FHS, and it’s a 24/7 job. Her home is like a command center, filled with food, medicine, crates and every sort of supply needed to equip volunteers and, inevitably, her own rescues. She keeps tabs on each kitten’s status, and helps run the adoption program FHS operates in conjunction with PetSmart in Peachtree City.

“Foster homes are an integral part in how many animals will be saved,” she says. Last year FHS took in 510 cats and kittens, and adopted out 488. The group has 10-15 regular foster homes that keep kittens for a few weeks or a few months. Homes are screened and inspected and new fosters are mentored by experienced ones.

My foster kittens were rescued from a rundown house where multiple cats had given birth. Three were friendly, but the other three were shy. As strays, kittens learn to be wary, but they just as quickly learn that life indoors sure beats life outdoors.

“I have had kittens sleep so hard after coming ‘in’ for the first time, and you realize that they understand they are safe and can let their guard down,” Lueder says. “The first time my foster, who is 11 years old, ever set foot inside and was given a soft, plush bed to sleep on, the look of wonder on her face nearly made me cry.”

Molly Young, FHS’s vice president, says the process is similar for the approximately 350-400 dogs fostered each year, although dogs need more space than cats. FHS also pulls animals from the shelter when it can.

It’s easy to get attached to

the animals you foster, but it’s a reminder that homeless animals aren’t just numbers — they’re individuals with distinct personalities and fostering helps match the right pets with the right people.

It takes work and commitment, but Lueder says “the reward can feel amazing for that one moment when the cat or dog finds the perfect family.”