I have always been passionate about helping cats. Since my retirement, I have been volunteering at the SPCA since June 2016.SPCA Florida has a dedicated staff who help to improve the lives of all its rescued animals with the goal of finding them good homes.

I was glad when I was asked to foster a litter of 3 kitties, born on (6/5/17) 3 weeks old. To me, every kitten is cute, but it was love at first sight when I saw the smallest one. Her fur was all sorts of colors: stripes and spots. However, there was something wrong with her eyes. To me, she was beautiful. The SPCA vet mentioned that she had a serious eye infection and if it could not be brought under control, they may need to remove one of her eyes. I vowed that this kitten would have the best 24 hour care and do everything to save her sight.  The eye drops must have been uncomfortable for her, but it seemed as if she smiled at me, glad of my concern and attention.

The bond between us grew stronger. I finally admitted to myself that I wanted to adopt her. I carefully chose the name of Skylar which means “eternal light, love, and strength”, because that is what I wished for her.

SPCA policy requires that all adopted animals be fixed before adoption. Skylar’s litter mates all had been adopted to loving homes. However, she stayed with me, slow to gain weight for the surgery. Finally, she reached the magic number- two pounds.

I arrived early at the SPCA to officially adopt her on 9/15/17. Still concerned about her overall health and vision, I brought her to my vet, as well as to an eye specialist. The entire staff at both clinics absolutely fell in love with her and commented on her confidence and good behavior. Skylar no longer needed meds, as her vision had not been affected.

She is still petite and has quickly made friends with the rest of her brothers and sisters. Presently, my Skylar enjoys play time with her family: chasing them and trying to catch their tails. They indulge her and seem amused by her antics. She loves to play fetch with her favorite toys and likes to place these in the water bowl. There is never a dull moment in the house.  She has learned to do a “High five” with her paw.

Upon returning home, Skylar is always by the door to greet me and is also the official hostess when company arrives.

She enjoys sleeping by my side, even though she may have to compete with her sisters for the “right spot”. Skylar always looks like she has a smile on her face. She has added so much to my life, as she also puts a smile on my face

As a foster mom, the hardest part is loving and then letting go. However, sometimes you can’t let go and that is just fine!