Foster Highlight: Olivia

Posted By SLCo Animal Services
July 06, 2020

It takes an army of volunteers every year to foster all the neonatal kittens that come into animal shelters like Salt Lake County Animal Services. Olivia Coleman is one of these people who help kittens grow big and strong so they can be adopted by loving families. Find out more about fostering and about Olivia's experience. 

Thank you Olivia! Here's a Q&A we had with her:

• I’ve been fostering for about a year and a half!
• It’s actually a funny story! I was wanting to volunteer more with animals and I was really interested in fostering kittens. One day, I came in for a volunteer shift, and about a minute after I walked in, two ladies walked in with four 3- week-old kittens. I took them home within the hour! 
• I’ve only fostered kittens at this point, along with the stray injured bird. 
• I think that the most rewarding aspect is knowing that your kittens are going to a safe, happy home. It’s rewarding to know that you’ve gotten them past the most vulnerable stage in their life, and now, someone new can get them through the rest of their lives!
• My experience only extends to bottle baby kittens, but here is my advice: I know that bottle babies are delicate, but make sure not to make things into a catastrophe! Just keep an eye on things if you suspect something is wrong, but try not to freak out. You can do this!
• One of my first foster kittens was quite the messy eater. On his first day on wet food, he got it all over his paws, his face, and incredibly, his tail! I don’t know how he managed that!