Katie is an elementary school music teacher from Hawaii who just so happens to be a passionate cat lover.
A couple of years ago, she founded her own non-profit foster organization Katie’s Kittenz, with the goal of helping numerous stray cats and kittens find their forever homes.
As a skilled foster mom, Katie has opened her heart and home to many feline friends, including Otter – an adorable black kitten who got ‘mistakenly’ rescued.
It all started one day when Katie received a call regarding a tiny black kitten abandoned at a local Hawaiian animal hospital.
Katie was informed that the kitten was at high risk for euthanasia due to the intensive care young kittens require, including feedings every two or three hours.
Not wanting such a fate for a kitten she didn’t even know, Katie got into her car and drove all the way to the hospital, ready to give that fluff a chance at life.
The moment Katie met Otter, she felt like her new feline friend wasn’t exactly abandoned by her mom. As she explained in an interview:
“She was plump. She was clean. She was well-fed. So, the mother cat had most likely been doing an excellent job taking care of her.”
Katie said how Otter was likely mistaken for an abandoned kitten – thus rescued by a mistake, too.
On her Instagram page, she addressed this issue as ‘kitnapping’, saying:
“‘Kitnapping’ is when people find kittens alone, and assume the kitten has been abandoned by its mother. Usually well-intentioned, these people take the kittens from their nest to try to find help.”
With no way to reunite Otter with her mother, Katie decided to leverage her foster skills and take matters into her own hands.
In the first week of caring for Otter, Katie was especially diligent. She set alarms for every two to three hours throughout the night to ensure Otter was fed on schedule.
She prepared a warm, comfortable nest for Otter in a box equipped with a heating pad and soft blankets, ensuring the kitten had everything needed to thrive and grow up happy and healthy.
Katie grew to admire Otter’s strength and resilience, describing her as a true fighter. She said:
“I find her resilience really inspiring. When you think about all that Otter been through, she is still so strong, so tough, so spunky.”
However, she also couldn’t help but feel sorry for her tiny furriend, who despite her constant companionship, felt lonely from time to time.
Other foster kitties in Katie’s home weren’t as welcoming, so the tiny furball was mostly alone. Katie explained:
“Kittens aren’t meant to be alone. Kittens are supposed to have a mother cat, they’re supposed to have littermates…so you can definitely tell that Otter gets lonely.”
Determined to mitigate this, Katie compensated with abundant affection, ensuring Otter received the love she deserved.
Recognizing her effort and reveling in her love and affection, Otter soon began to view Katie as her actual mother. As Katie said:
“Otter thinks I’m her mom! She just wants to be on me all the time. She won’t stop crying until I pick her up. She won’t stop nuzzling my hands until I pet her.”
Otter followed Katie everywhere, affectionately made biscuits on her face, and seized every opportunity to cuddle with her.
Despite their deep bond, Katie was always mindful that they’d soon have to say goodbye…
Katie understood that once Otter was old enough, she would have to give her friend up for adoption. Although the thought was saddening, she found solace in knowing it was the right decision. As she put it:
“It would be selfish not to share her with the world.”
She further expressed her gratitude:
“I feel so privileged to have gotten the opportunity to be a part of her story. I know that the rest of her life, wherever it is, whoever it’s with, is gonna be beautiful, is gonna be amazing.”
For any foster parent, saying goodbye is the hardest part. But I hope they all know what an incredible and noble job they are doing. Their efforts are truly recognized and appreciated!
As for Katie, she is making the most of her remaining time with Otter, though the prospect of a ‘foster-fail’ always looms – a scenario where she might decide to keep Otter permanently.
To see how their story unfolds, consider following this devoted foster mom on Instagram.
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