From foster to forever home – Kali’s story
Our team responded to a call for help from a gentleman who was struggling to cope with a large number of cats. He had four to begin with but they bred during lockdown – and the numbers soon spiraled out of control.
Many people at Woodgreen played a role in this special case, not least our amazing team of fosterers. At a time when we needed them the most, they were there for us – and for Kali. This kitten was more vulnerable than the rest of the group. She has a life-long neurological condition called cerebellar hypoplasia, which affects her balance and coordination. But she was in safe hands with Stacey, a Woodgreen fosterer.
Stacey shares her experience of looking after Kali:
“Usually, I give kittens one night to settle by themselves before I start to handle them, but that first evening Kali was looking out of her bed, interested in all of us watching the TV. Once she moved into my spare room and she had the confidence to move around freely, I noticed her back legs were not as coordinated as previous kittens I had fostered. Kali also ate quite erratically; she would grab a mouthful of food and fling her head back each time. She also took to chewing her metal bowl. And she used to lean against my wall while she toileted.
Discovering that she had mild cerebella hypoplasia and altering her environment to help her with her disability was very important.
Kali was a happy kitten and I feel that she managed her condition very well. I placed her bowls on a towel to catch any mess while she ate. I also positioned her litter tray in a corner, so she had at least two sides to balance and lean on while she toileted. And I ensured that the floor was covered in soft blankets to avoid any injury, as she was very good at climbing and jumping, just not so good at coming back down and landing. In addition, I provided her with levels at different heights to encourage her not to jump, but to use the steps provided.
Fostering Kali really helped improve her sociability in a domestic environment. She was exposed to the usual comings and goings of an average home, being around a small child, and the noises that come from being in a home.
The most rewarding thing about fostering Kali was adapting to her needs and it working. The small alterations I put in place for her made a huge impact on her daily activities. This allowed her to enjoy life to the fullest as much as a typical kitten would.”
Since then, Kali (now named Maple) has found her forever home with new owner Shardé. But things haven’t been plain sailing. Not long after being rehomed, Maple became ill with pneumonia and gastritis but, fortunately, made a full recovery. More recently, our team supported Shardé with advice on how to tackle some inappropriate toileting in the home. In a recent update, she tells us:
“We’re really happy with Maple despite the toileting issue, which we’re determined to get on top of. She has quickly become a big part of our little family.”
Help cats like Kali to find their forever home by adopting a cat or fostering a cat today.