two of my foster kittens

[smilingcat]

My partner and I foster kittens each year. We specialize in new borns to 4 week old kittens. We bottle feed them, we stimulate their tummy's to get their bowl moving, we keep track of their weight every 4 hours... and we watch them grow up to be happy kittens to be adopted out. Our kittens have no fear, just wonderful happy kittens raised in a home filled with lots of love from us, other cats to play and very tolerating dogs.

The first two kittens out of this litter found a home two weeks ago. And tonight, we had to confront the woman who had adopted the two of the kittens. The woman is a pathological liar and we are unable to locate the kittens. The stories of what had happend to the kittens changed well over 5 times. And piecing back together the events and how and what she said, my partner and I'm convinced that the woman had killed the two within two or three days after she got them. She had called that day to say how wonderful the kittens were and she was bonding with them. Tonight, she didn't have single remorse of what she did to them. So we figure the day she called was the day she killed them to cleanse her mind of this awful thing. She said things like there are in better place now... She had placed them in a box...

Had the kittens been picked up, we would have been notified by now since kill and no kill shelters scan for microchips, and if anyone had picked up a stray and took it to a vet, they would have scanned for the microchip too.

I should have paid attention to the red flag. She didn't want her furniture scratched, she didn't want her cello and bow played with by the cats. I've let my kittens down and now they are most likely dead.

I wish things were going better for me... It was only five month ago when I got a call and was told that one of my foster kitten was killed. Three AM call... and it was one of the kittens I had really bonded and wanted to keep. and he was only 2 years old... And now this tonight. I am just so sick... I've been crying for about an hour...

I've let the kittens down. They were so beautiful... and my partner says she is too upset to be sad right now. How could she? She didn't want to be embarassed? What is wrong with her. WE gave her our number, cell, home, and more than enough phone numbers to call us if things didn't work out. She lied about calling us too.

Please give your prayer to two kittens who should have had a wonderful life. Instead, they only lived to be four month old.

happy days for the two beautiful kittens they were the best of buds. On my bed.

I just needed to talk. I'm sorry its not about happy things.

[badger]

god, that's horrible!! and to think that there are people out there who can willingly kill precious, innocent lives and not be remorseful. I wonder why she even bothered to adopt them in the first place?

Please don't beat yourself up too much, you didn't know. Had you know, you would never have let them go to her. It's not your fault. You're doing such good by helping these kittens grow and thrive when their mothers should have done the job. You're helping other cats have the chance at a life they would never have if caring people didn't step in.

Please keep up the good work, and again, please don't blame yourself. There is a special place for people who bring harm to animals, and she'll be going there when it's her time.

[Pax]

Poor little kittens. I'm so sorry you're going through this.

[jesvetmed]

Smilingcat: That just makes me feel sick. I'm so sorry and can only hope that your suspicions are not true. Badger is so right -- there isn't anything you can blame yourselves for. If you find that she still has them, then I hope you can retrieve them. What possible reason would she have to harm them? The world is just full of bad stuff and bad people that I cannot understand. All you can do is keep doing the good that you do, and save the next ones. And make sure that other foster care people and shelters have her name on the "do not adopt" listing if at all possible. A prayer is going out for the little ones.

[Flur]

This is horrible. Is there a way for you to get the police involved? I would think this counts as animal cruelty...

The kind of people that would do this sort of thing make me sick.

[sbctwin]

Oh, Smilingcat. I am so sorry you have to deal with this. You give so much to your fosters and for something like this to happen to your furbabies, is just horrible. You did not fail the kittens, that woman did. How can people be so mean to take it out on the defenselss

[OakLeaf]

(((((((Smilingcat & kitties)))))))

I'm so sorry this happened. There's no reason to blame yourself.

Thank you for all you do fostering the kittens. I have friends who do that so I know how heartbreaking it can be.

[beccaB]

Some kids on my bus route had an adorable tuxedo kitten that I enjoyed watching play in the leaves as I was picking up the kids. Of course I knew I would have to watch for the cat every time I pulled up to the bus stop. I even let one of the kids know that I had seen the kitten in the road as I was driving by one day. I found out today that the kitten had gotten hit by a car over the weekend. My heart just breaks, and I just want to strangle people for being so irresponsible.
My neighbors, on the other hand, have a feral cat colony, and I think maybe I should call the county animal control. I firmly believe cats should be spayed and neutered and kept in the house if at all possible. I can't even feed the birds anymore.

[Grog]

This is truly awful... I am so sorry...

[Trek420]

(((((((Smilingcat, smilingcat partner & kitties)))))))

Thank you for fostering.

Everyone please spay neuter your pets. There aren't enough Smilingcat families and good homes for all. And if you're thinking of a pet please adopt a shelter pet.

On behalf of my mutt (who likes cats if they are "her" cats) we thank you.

Here my contractor takes a "kitten break" while Mae watches Hoodie, H's abandoned feral kitten. Mae'd been licking the kitten a moment earlier.

*note, yes I've gotten rid of that rug.

[beccaB]

To Trek420-
Are those the 3 things you love the most in the whole world? Your bike, your cat and your dog! What a cute picture!
My brother just told me he is considering getting a "used dog" Meaning, a shelter dog. I thought that was cute!

[Trek420]

Well my contractor is not one of my 3 favorite things (though if you're lurking, H, you are doing a great job). She fostered this kitten, we were going to adopt but .... she fell in love with the kitten. So while glad to play a part in socializing the kitten, Mae misses the kitten, I get to visit.

Hoodie who turned into a great cat, fearless, playful, great with dogs.

Used dogs/cats rule!! I think they know they've been given a second chance by volunteers like Smilingcat, and they reward you. Get a used pet, don't even look at the odometer

[Biciclista]

There is something you can do. You can tell everyone in the pet industry in your neck of the woods this woman's name and any other info you have about her.
Here in the state of washington we have a "DO NOT ADOPT" list
and even if we SUSPECT something is not right, we circulate that person's name.
PLEASE share information with all the foster cat ladies and the local humane society and whomever else is in a position to adopt out pets. If she really did these cats harm, she'll do it again. In the name of your dearly departed, you owe it to the rest of the cat nation to spread this woman's info around.

Thanks

[Blueberry]

(((((Smilingcat and 2 kittens)))))))

Please don't let one bad experience stop you from doing all of the good work you do. Sometimes people suck

[arielmoon]

(((Smilingcat & kitties)))

Please dont be hard on yourself for the actions of other careless people. You do a wonderful thing by fostering and loving the kittens. Then it is up to someone else to take proper care of them. Try to remember how many kittens you have raised that have gone to wonderful homes.