Deanna Durante's Kitten-Saving Mission Continues

Every spring, shelters get overwhelmed with cats during kitten season and the plea goes out for foster families to take care of them, until permanent homes can be found. Foster families save the lives of cats and kittens that might otherwise meet their demise in a kill shelter. This year, NBC10's Deanna Durante decided it was time to become a foster parent. She's blogging about her experience.

Have I spoiled her? This is the question I am asking tonight because "mama kitty" left her food bowl pretty much untouched.

My mom, remember her? The major cat lover? She always opens new cans of food if her cats don’t eat what she put down and I used to think to myself, "they are cats if they don’t eat it now when they get hungry enough they will.”

I guess it’s different when the cats are in your home. This week at the store I found a different type of cat food on sale. It’s a major brand name so I switched to it. Clearly mama kitty not so happy with that and she hasn’t eaten any of it!

So I was feeling guilty when I got home tonight (funny since she was a stray and ate whatever crossed her path) and I found myself opening cans of the “better stuff” and as if that wasn’t enough I mixed in a can of chunk white tuna too!

Yes, this cat who hisses at me every time I walk in the room has me right where she wants me -- and I am okay with it. 

Big kitten news this week and if you are following on Facebook and Twitter, then you already know, We've been able to hold the kittens. We haven’t named them yet, though we refer to some as "first born," and "speckles" (she is the spotted tiger kitty you see in the palm of my hand), the all black one and the "tigers" (there are two that look like twins).

I think the all black kitten is a little boy, though I’m not sure, but he always seems to be on the bottom of the pile and the tan one which was the first born, well he (not sure if he is really a he) is always on the wrong side of "mama kitty."

I have been asked by many friends and family which kittens we are keeping and my answer is always the same -- we are not keeping any. Sounds cruel, I know. And it’s okay, I'm ready for all the messages on Twitter and Facebook I'll get after writing this. But I promise you all of these kittens and mama will all end up in loving and good homes because PALS Will make sure of it.

Back to why we are not keeping any -- every year hundreds, if not thousands of cats flood local shelters and there simply isn’t room for all of them. By offering up our home for just a little while we get the pets (I’ve always wanted), we get to help out PALS and by the time my mother-in-law comes for a visit (she is allergic) all the fur and dander should be gone.

As for the kittens, they sleep and eat most of the day and still haven’t opened their eyes. Just a little while ago I went back in to pet the kitties and "mama cat," and you know what? She didn’t hiss , I actually think she was purring…hmmm I guess a little tuna is going a long way for us!

Here's more information on adopting or fostering a pet: Pals Pets

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