Less than a month ago, I had hip surgery which left me housebound and mostly unable to take care of myself. I had to rely upon my family to take care of most of my needs for two weeks. Nothing was easy and I couldn’t have gotten by without them. However, it quickly became apparent that my cats would play a critical role in my recovery. I have several cats and they all contributed to my healing process. Robbie was my night nurse. He slept with me on my recliner all night, every night until I transitioned to my bed. Junie B was the day nurse, keeping me company and warm throughout the day, and encouraging me with his “chirps” and purring. Harry’s role was to alert me to things going on in the yard as he sat on the back of my chair and surveyed the bird activities. While my “guys” couldn’t help me put on my shoes or bring me tea, they provided and continue to provide support and love. I can’t imagine how dull and empty my life would be without all of my animals, but especially my kitties.
The internet offers many articles about the health benefits that pets can bring to our lives. Whether it is stress reduction, increased physical activity that keeps us moving as we age, or their ability to lower our blood pressure and heart rates (watching a tank of fish can do that!), pets are a great source of comfort. The mental health benefits of having a cat are numerous. They provide companionship and unconditional love and can offer comfort and security for us when we are stressed, anxious, or lonely. Cats are also entertaining! Junie trills, chirps, and squeaks to communicate with me. They are playful, inventive, and can tell time. My cats are fed three times a day at specific times. They begin converging on me about half an hour before feeding time. When I get up and call them to eat, they race down the hall toward the room where they eat. It never ceases to bring me amusement and joy!
If you love cats but are unsure about sharing your home and life with a cat on a permanent basis, please consider fostering one of Beltsville Community Cats’ lovely kitties. You will have the opportunity to change the life of a cat forever by providing love, food, and shelter until an approved “forever” home is found. Most fosters decide to continue fostering after their foster cat/kitten is adopted. Sometimes the foster placement turns out to be a perfect match for the person’s lifestyle and the foster parent adopts the kitty. As “Kitten Season” approaches, BCC is looking for both long-term and short-term (vacation/substitute) foster homes.
Remember, cats are not aloof and boring. They are wonderful additions to any home with time to spend with them. I could not have gotten through the last few weeks without mine!
You do not need to make a long-term commitment to foster for BCC, but you do need to fill out an application online and be approved to foster. Apply to foster at: http://www.shelterluv.com/matchme/foster/BCC/Cat.
For information on adopting from BCC, contact rescue@beltsvillecats.net or visit https://www.beltsvillecats.net/adoptions. To view the kitties BCC has available for adoption, visit: https://www.petfinder.com/member/us/md/beltsville/beltsville-community-cats-md506/.
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