Maddie Fang has fostered more than 100 kittens. She shares her experience on @fangsfosters where you can see kitten photos that will melt your heart. She has a particular affection for bottle feeders, helping them grow in preparation for adoption. It’s a great deal of work to nurture itty bitty kitties but Maddie manages with a little help from a friend. Her dog Leo plays a big role protecting, cleaning, and loving the kittens.
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Leo is a Born Lover
Maddie gave us the lowdown on her sweet pup and co-caretaker Leo. He is a rescue dog that they adopted from Westside German Shepherd Rescue almost 9 years ago when he was just a little puppy. Leo was a born lover and has always had a very calm demeanor. His gentle nature gave Maddie confidence that he would be just fine with foster kittens around.
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When Maddie brought their first foster home, she expected Leo to be good with the kitten but was pleasantly surprised to find that Leo was extremely interested and a natural nurturer. When Leo met a kitten for the first time, it was love at first sight! He has now shared his space and family and affection with over 100 kittens and he seems to love each one more than the last. He has an innate understanding of his role as a protective big brother. He also enjoys helping keep the kittens clean and showing them love with wet kisses.
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Big Rewards in Fostering Little Kitties
Maddie got into fostering for the Ventura County Animal Shelter about three years ago. Her very first foster kitten was one who needed to gain weight prior to having neuter surgery. Life in a shelter can be stressful for animals making it hard for them to stay healthy. Getting into a home with a foster can make all the difference in allowing them to relax, get healthy, and be ready for a forever family.
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Maddie found the experience to be extremely rewarding so she kept it going! More and more kittens kept coming. Eventually she fostered a pregnant cat, who gave birth to her litter under Maddie’s bed despite the fact that Maddie provided five nesting box options for the expecting mama cat. Watching the mother cat care for the newborn kittens was an educational and impactful experience for Maddie.
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It gave her the confidence to take on more challenging fosters. She took in three neonatal kittens who still had their umbilical cords attached. Those new babies required around-the-clock care with bottle feedings every two hours. This left Maddie a bit bleary eyed, but hooked! She has a passion for watching bottle feeders blossom and grow and finds them to be extremely loving and grateful.
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Fostering is immensely important to help shelter animals stay healthy, acquire skills and manners, socialize, and ultimately, be ready for adoption. Thank you to @fangsfosters and all the wonderful fosters out there that open their homes and hearts to shelter animals in need.
Featured Image @fangsfosters Instagram