Michelle B is one of our fearless and invaluable foster homes, as well as a Foster Home Liason Volunteer. We asked her to share a typical day with us:
600 Woken up by kittens chewing on my toes.
730 After hitting snooze button on alarm, get up to get daughter off to school and feed cats.
Soft food for mouse and 5 babies. 1 can. They are all in hiding. Mouse is still very timid but the kittens will peak out from their nest.
While downstairs I feed my dog Zoe and foster dog Sabre.
Upstairs to make daughter's lunch and feed everyone upstairs. This takes 1 large and 1 small can of soft food and 3 plates and one bowl (for my cat Princess as she won't eat with the others so she gets a bowl to herself on the counter)
I then head back downstairs to let dogs outside and peek in on Mouse's family. Yup all the food gone and still hiding!
Daughter's bus comes. As I am waving good bye 4 cats run outside so I chase after them.
830 clean up after everyone's breakfast then head outside to feed rabbits. They are named Cupcake and Gibby and they hop around their hutch excited for breakfast.
900 watch TLC " what not to wear" while folding laundry or some other chore.
1000ish Daughter Meadow gets up and we have breakfast and play with kittens and cats while watching cartoons. Besides Mouse's kittens downstairs we have Lucy and her remaining 3 kittens upstairs (who we received when the kittens were just a few days old and are now 8 weeks old and are being adopted out) and my newly adopted PFA kitten Angel.
Total cats free range in house: 12!
6 are my babies (ages ranging from 12 yrs to 2 mos )
1PM Go for walk with dogs while Meadow rides bike. Often go to park. Get home and check on kittens downstairs, play with them a bit and ensure everyone has fresh water and dry food available.
300 Meadow plays while I check emails and do PFA paperwork. I am a foster home coordinator and follow up on foster homes, arrange visits and do vaccinations etc. I often do 1 to 3 visits a week. While working I have to break up a few cat fights as they get into each other's space.
4PM Older daughter comes home. We may run a few errands (like buy pet food) etc before supper.
6ish Take girls to dance class on Mon Tue and Wed and eat early or usually eat at this time then outside for yard work, playing with dogs or visiting with neighbours.
8PM. Time for feeding again. Total of canned food 1 large and 2 small.
Feed cats upstairs
Feed cats in foster room and let dogs in to feed them. Often breaking up fights with those who don't like to share! Get children ready for bed.
9PM Yay girls are in bed. I head downstairs to do laundry, feed our fish and scoop out 7 litter boxes. I always end up in foster room and hang out with the occupant. Today that is Mouse and her babies. I talk to and pet Mouse (who is still hiding and growls at me at first but relaxes and enjoys the petting) and laugh at the babies wrestling and chasing each other around.
10 PM tidy up house and again play with kittens or any adult cat who likes to snuggle and watch tv.
11ish Off to bed which is already occupied by 3 cats and another 1 or 2 join me once I'm settled.
Total cats 18
Total dogs 2
Total bunnies 2
Total children 2
Total cans of soft cat food 6 and 1 large bag of dry food every 3 weeks
Total of 2 cans wet dog food for picky foster dog Sabre
2 boxes of litter a week
Amount of love in the house priceless!
PS this would be a typical day off for me. I also work full time shift work as a nurse.
600 Woken up by kittens chewing on my toes.
730 After hitting snooze button on alarm, get up to get daughter off to school and feed cats.
Soft food for mouse and 5 babies. 1 can. They are all in hiding. Mouse is still very timid but the kittens will peak out from their nest.
While downstairs I feed my dog Zoe and foster dog Sabre.
Upstairs to make daughter's lunch and feed everyone upstairs. This takes 1 large and 1 small can of soft food and 3 plates and one bowl (for my cat Princess as she won't eat with the others so she gets a bowl to herself on the counter)
I then head back downstairs to let dogs outside and peek in on Mouse's family. Yup all the food gone and still hiding!
Daughter's bus comes. As I am waving good bye 4 cats run outside so I chase after them.
830 clean up after everyone's breakfast then head outside to feed rabbits. They are named Cupcake and Gibby and they hop around their hutch excited for breakfast.
900 watch TLC " what not to wear" while folding laundry or some other chore.
1000ish Daughter Meadow gets up and we have breakfast and play with kittens and cats while watching cartoons. Besides Mouse's kittens downstairs we have Lucy and her remaining 3 kittens upstairs (who we received when the kittens were just a few days old and are now 8 weeks old and are being adopted out) and my newly adopted PFA kitten Angel.
Total cats free range in house: 12!
6 are my babies (ages ranging from 12 yrs to 2 mos )
1PM Go for walk with dogs while Meadow rides bike. Often go to park. Get home and check on kittens downstairs, play with them a bit and ensure everyone has fresh water and dry food available.
300 Meadow plays while I check emails and do PFA paperwork. I am a foster home coordinator and follow up on foster homes, arrange visits and do vaccinations etc. I often do 1 to 3 visits a week. While working I have to break up a few cat fights as they get into each other's space.
4PM Older daughter comes home. We may run a few errands (like buy pet food) etc before supper.
6ish Take girls to dance class on Mon Tue and Wed and eat early or usually eat at this time then outside for yard work, playing with dogs or visiting with neighbours.
8PM. Time for feeding again. Total of canned food 1 large and 2 small.
Feed cats upstairs
Feed cats in foster room and let dogs in to feed them. Often breaking up fights with those who don't like to share! Get children ready for bed.
9PM Yay girls are in bed. I head downstairs to do laundry, feed our fish and scoop out 7 litter boxes. I always end up in foster room and hang out with the occupant. Today that is Mouse and her babies. I talk to and pet Mouse (who is still hiding and growls at me at first but relaxes and enjoys the petting) and laugh at the babies wrestling and chasing each other around.
10 PM tidy up house and again play with kittens or any adult cat who likes to snuggle and watch tv.
11ish Off to bed which is already occupied by 3 cats and another 1 or 2 join me once I'm settled.
Total cats 18
Total dogs 2
Total bunnies 2
Total children 2
Total cans of soft cat food 6 and 1 large bag of dry food every 3 weeks
Total of 2 cans wet dog food for picky foster dog Sabre
2 boxes of litter a week
Amount of love in the house priceless!
PS this would be a typical day off for me. I also work full time shift work as a nurse.
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