Foster Tails
- Beth Felker
- 5 days ago
- 3 min read
Hi everyone, I’m Madison! I wanted to share a little bit about myself to you guys. I am 16
years old and a Junior at Allen High School. I have a Miniature Schnauzer, named
Bailey, that I’ve had for a little over 6 years. I love to play Volleyball and make new
connections with people. I would like to say that I am fun and an outgoing person.
I’ve always loved animals, down to the land mammals and creatures of the sea. I
wanted to start this blog because I got to witness something pretty awesome! My Aunt
stepped up to foster two of the cutest kittens I’ve ever seen! Their names are Cara and
Cole. I’ve been able to watch these kittens grow and find their personalities over such a
short time. My Aunt Shatima has become completely smitten with them and decided to
adopt both of these kittens.
I look forward to working with Bowe’s Buddies more in the future.
All of us at Bowe's Buddies would like to thank our guest Blogger Madson for taking the time to share her Aunt's foster tail with us today.
1. Have you had pets before?
I never had pets growing up; however, when I was 22, I decided I wanted a Yorkie. So,
for my birthday my boyfriend and I went to a pet store and purchased my first fur baby,
Blue Joseph. Blue lived for 13.5 years and passed away. Once my heart healed, I knew I needed something else to love. I had learned a lot in those 13.5 years, and I no longer
supported purchasing pets, so I adopted Bentley, almost 4 months later.
2. Why did you want to foster?
I wanted to foster because when Bentley passed suddenly this past June, after 10
years, I didn’t want the commitment of owning another dog. Therefore, I figured it was
better to foster to still get my fix on loving on something, without the responsibility.
3. What made you want to adopt your fosters?
I ended up wanting to adopt my fosters, Cara and Cole, because they both ended up
catching ringworm. So, the time it has taken to nurse them back to health, and seeing
their personalities blossom, there was no way I could allow someone else experience
their magic.
4. Are there any challenges that you’ve faced fostering?
The only challenge was when I initially brought home 2 kittens (Cara and Pumpkin), and
unbeknownst to me, Pumpkin was sick. I had to take him back to the shelter, and it was
determined that he had ringworm. I ended up keeping the other foster (Cara), and she
later developed it, as well as a new foster that I brought home (Cole). I wish I had
known more about precautions on bringing fosters home, and keeping them separated
and contained for a while, initially.
5. What’s one thing you wish that you knew prior to fostering?
That no matter how much you think you are saving them, they are saving you. Fostering
is very rewarding in the sense that you are providing housing and food outside of a
shelter environment. But, I didn’t realize how quickly you can bond and want to keep
them all.
6. What’s the most rewarding thing about fostering?
The most rewarding thing about fostering is that you get a “trial” period, or a test run
before deciding to own a pet. I had never owned kittens or cats in my life, so this was a
nice test run to see that I can be a cat lady now. I always thought I was a dog mom, but
this was nice to experience because just getting a kitten cold turkey. They provide
everything you need, as far as food, blankets, toys, crates, etc. You provide the love,
time, and a safe place for them to rest their heads, and that’s a very rewarding feeling.
An added bonus, is that I got to name both Cara and Cole, which also helped seal the deal.
If you ever have questions, want to share a foster story, or are ready to get involved, don’t hesitate to reach out. Bowe and I would love to hear from you.
With gratitude,
Beth Bodden Felker
Founder, Bowe’s Buddies
Bowe’s Buddies is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting animals just like Bowe: those who need extra care, time, and compassion to thrive. We partner with the Allen Animal Shelter to support foster volunteers who provide temporary homes for cats and dogs in need.
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