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REIDSVILLE—Reidsville native Cassaundra Baker, 22, grew up surrounded by animals and fondly remembers helping her mother raise a few litters of kittens and puppies.
Now, Baker is carrying the torch, fostering her first litter of kittens for the Rockingham County Animal Shelter, and she loves every minute of it.
“I have three sweet, handsome, loving, and adorable kittens in my care – Simon, Toby and Blake,” Baker said. “I want to be able to give back the love that animals give to us.”
Baker is serving as a foster through a new partnership between the Best Friends Animal Society, a national animal welfare organization, and the Rockingham County Animal Shelter to save at-risk cats.
Best Friends Animal Society is providing support to the shelter to provide lifesaving changes for cats, including the new satellite foster program. Cats and kittens brought to the shelter or found without mothers by the public will be fostered by local volunteers until they are old enough to be spayed or neutered and adopted. All supplies and training is provided to fosters at no cost. After six months, the pilot foster program will transition full to RCAS, with the Best Friends Animal Society providing ongoing support.
In addition to the kittens she is fostering, Baker also has a 5-year-old husky named Luna, a 2-year-old female cat named Bootsie and a 2-year-old male cat named Shadow, which was adopted from the Rockingham County Animal Shelter. Baker said her pets have adapted well to the kittens and are mainly curious.
“They don’t mind them being off in their own little space, but my cats are a little iffy about them being out in the living space with us, but we are adjusting to short periods very nicely,” Baker said. “It’s a process.”
To be a foster, Baker said one must own their own home or have permission from their landlord to keep the animals; have a means of transportation to pick up supplies from the shelter, take them for booster shots and vet appointments, take them to adoption fairs, etc.; Internet/telephone to keep in contact with Best Friends/RCAS, and a computer/device to take video calls to meet potential owners. Fosters must be 18 or older, and household pets must be current on vaccinations. Best Friends does not limit how many animals one can foster at once but does ask that the foster home only have one litter at a time to help contain any potential illness.
“And, of course, you need to have time to dedicate to caring for them and getting them used to human interaction,” Baker said.
In 2021, RCAS took in 2,674 cats and saved 1,410 (52 percent), while in the same period, the shelter saved 82 percent of dogs that entered the shelter. The cat foster program was started to improve these statistics for cats.
“We are so excited to be partnering with Best Friends to help save the lives of many kittens and cats in our community,” said Brittany Flynn, shelter director. “Foster parents provide the needed care and socialization for kittens, shy adults and senior cats that could otherwise be overlooked in a shelter environment.”
Flynn said the partnership with Best Friends and foster homes also is helping to alleviate the strain on staff and overcrowding at the shelter.
Best Friends is taking on all initial costs of the foster program, including marketing, recruitment, foster supplies and animal medical costs, as well as providing one full-time remote staff member to help run the program.
“By fostering, you’re not only helping the cat you’re welcoming into your home, but you’re also making space for the shelter to take in additional animals,” said Melissa Jones, Best Friends’ manager of community engagement.
Baker said it is difficult not getting too attached to the kittens, but she keeps the long range goal for them foremost in her mind.
“I have to remember the whole point of the foster program is to find them loving, caring homes, and that they will make some lucky person very happy,” she said.
She is thrilled that Best Friends Animal Society joined with the shelter to help cats and looks forward to helping as many as she can.
“This program is very much needed and important because the overpopulation of cats is outstanding, and we want to lower the euthanization rates and help as many animals find loving homes as possible,” Baker said. “I really hope we can make a difference in the number of cats that find loving, caring forever homes.
Those interested in fostering can send an e-mail to fosterrockinghamco@bestfriends.org for more information.
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