Summer 2010 - PAWS Chicago

I am a law student transplantto Chicago, and I started fosteringabout nine months ago. I grewup with a big family and a lot ofanimals, so living alone in a studiofelt lonely. I can’t commit to adoptinga pet, as I often leave town forweeks at a time and I am not surewhat lies ahead after graduation.Enter the PAWS Chicago FosterProgram! It is incredibly convenient.Each week I receive an e-mail witha list of cats that need foster homes.The e-mail contains information likeage, medical issues, and the timeframe. This last part is key – I canfoster a cat that needs a home for theexact dates that I have one to give.Then comes the fun part! Inever know what the cats will belike – I’ve fostered cats who haveleapt out of their crates and greetedme with purrs and cats who hidfor two days in the most surprisingspots before tentatively emerging.It’s always a new experience. Theyall have different personalities, andit is fun to get to know each one.My apartment always feels morealive when I am fostering – thereare cats chasing each other aroundmy kitchen island or just sleepingpeacefully on my bed. I’ll admit thatI am often tempted to join them onthe bed, but their presence actuallyhelps me study. My apartmentdoes not feel so silent and sterile.Fostering is an ideal situationfor students because they havesuch inconsistent schedules. I oftensee e-mails from students seekingcat and dog sitters over Winterand Spring break. I never have toworry about that. This also seemslike the best time to foster becauseI can foster any cat, as I have noother pets and no children. I havefostered FeLV+ cats, for example.Fostering can be wonderful stressrelief from school. Whenever I geta new foster cat, other students areeager to come by and meet the newresident. Sometimes I foster kittens,and then my apartment becomesvery popular! I can see how muchjoy students get from of a cat purringin their lap or kittens playing witha string, especially during examperiod. This kind of socialization iswonderful for a cat who otherwisewould have been in the shelter orclinic environment for weeks.People sometimes ask me how Ican give up a foster cat after only acouple of weeks or months. It’s easybecause I know that I have laid afoundation of trust in humans that thecat can bring to his or her new home.Each cat will have an easier timeadjusting to a home environmentafter being adopted. I can affect thelives of many animals, instead of justone. That is the real joy of fostering.“Kristina Moen is a studentat Northwestern UniversitySchool of Law. She is thepresident of Northwestern'sStudent Animal Legal DefenseFund, which works to advancethe interests of animalsthrough the legal system.