… with Debbie Humby from St.Lunaire-Griquet
Debbie Humby with foster cat Silver who eventuall died (all photos Chris Humby)
Debbie, who is capable of becoming a foster mother for cats?
Anybody, as long as you have a love of cats and the patience and time to put in it.
How did you become a foster mother for cats that are looking for a forever home?
It happened by accident. We found a stray cat named Silver. It was a kitten that came to the window of the emergency in Flowers Cove. My husband is a paramedic there.
It was only about 5 months old. It looked like his paw was broken.
What did you do?
My husband Chris phoned me and I drove up to Flowers Cove and picked it up.
The kitten had to have his paw amputated. It probably had a blood clot and died.
When he passed away, it hit us really hard. We came in touch with Scaredy Cat Rescue and adopted two tabby cats, Eddie and Chase.
When did you start with foster cats?
The group Help the Strays St. Anthony and Area contacted us because they needed a foster home for a kitten. We took it in but it got adopted after just a few days!
After that, we got another one and an-other one.
Foster cat Tabitha who has found a forever home
What foster cats do you have right now?
We have Meko, a fixed male. He is such a great cat! He is friendly and likes eve-rybody. He loves to play and he likes to have his belly rubbed.
We also took in a kitten because one of the owners was allergic to cats. It is now back in his original home.
Then we have a wild stray cat that was found in Port Saunders. She is absolutely gorgeous! We got her pretty much tamed. She has found a home in Raleigh.
Foster cat Meko, a five-months-old, very friendly fixed cat that can be adopted
What was the highest number of cats you had at the same time?
The most I had in our house was five cats. We own three cats and had two fos-ter cats.
It is busy. You have to keep their litter box clean. We have three litter boxes in the house.
We give them lots of toys to play with.
Debbie and Chris Humbys adopted cats Eddie and Chase, two male tabbies
There must be a lot of fun in the house!
Yes, they are very active. They are chasing each other and getting into mis-chief.
They all want to get their individual attention.
How do you cope with saying farewell to your foster cats once they are adopted?
It is hard to see them go but it is nice to see that they are going to a good home.
It is so easy to get attached. I tell the new owners to put pictures up on Facebook so that I can see how the cats are doing.
How do your own cats react to the foster cats?
My older cat Mini who is four and a half years old had to get used to Silver, the kitten. But when Eddie and Chase were adopted, Mini was like “Oh well, there`s more coming”.
A climbing tree is a great asset to a home with cats.
Do you need a cat-proof house?
I have not really done anything to cat-proof the house.
We bought a cat tree because cats like to be up.
And when we redid our house, we built in window ledges because cats like to sit there and to look out of the window.
Cat heaven at Debbie and Chris` foster home in St. Lunaire-Griquet! Mini, the oldest cat, is on top…
What is your advice for people who would like to adopt cats?
Every cat has its own unique personality, just like dogs have all their unique personality. It is such fun to watch them.
No two cats are alike. You have to let them show to you what they want. And they will show you.
Some cats like to sit on your lap and some don`t. Some cats like to be picked up and held and some don`t. These cats are still affectionate!
Meko for instance does not like to be picked up and held for a long time. But he will lie on my lap and cuddle with me on the sofa.
If you want to adopt Meko or to have just a look at him, call Debbie Humby at 709-623 25 82.
Meko, a lovely young, fixed male cat who is looking for a forever home.
