Pooch Takes Care Of Shy Kittens Until They Gain Enough Courage To Interact With Humans
Kona did not just welcome two shy foster kittens into the house, she became their safe place almost immediately. The dog’s gentle presence helped Chester and Blair settle in after a rough start, and the photos from their foster home quickly made the pair hard to forget.
The kittens were found in a backyard in New York City during a freezing winter, and they arrived at Asa’s home with very little trust in people. Kona, who had already spent time around foster animals, seemed to understand exactly how to handle them, and that made all the difference.
What happened next turned into a sweet reminder that sometimes the calmest member of the household is the one doing the most work.
Kona’s owner Asa is fostering many cats and dogs, and over the years on the job, she has found homes for more than 164 animals
“Fostering is my way of giving back to the animals. I’ve always loved dogs since I grew up with three of them (four at one point). I had kind of a broken family, and my dogs were the one constant in my life. As an only child, I leaned on them a lot for consolation. They brought me so much joy throughout my childhood, and I knew I wanted to give back somehow, and fostering is my way of giving back.”
It’s hardly a surprise that she took on Chester and Blair too
“It happened naturally!
The kittens were very shy and afraid of people, as even the local animal rescuers who rescued them remembered having trouble catching them
Kona had already settled into her role, and Chester and Blair were about to benefit from it.
It’s obvious that Kona, Blair, and Chester have a special bond between them.
Asa said: “I think maybe she sensed that these two were a lot more reserved and undersocialized than the other kittens we’ve fostered recently. She really has the magic touch! I’ve had them for six weeks now, and they still run away from me (socializing has been quite a slow process for them), but with Kona, they gravitated towards her the moment they saw her on their first days here.
Blair used to try to nurse on Kona during the first couple of weeks. I’m not sure if it was Blair’s way of finding comfort in this new environment, but Kona just patiently laid there and let her nibble on her.”
Asa enjoys fostering, but sometimes it can be painful to part with the animals. “Fostering can be draining emotionally, physically, and financially. For me, I think the emotional aspect is the hardest. I’ve cried letting go of the majority of these fosters, and they all feel like a bad breakup. Some fosters I grow a closer bond with than others, and those ones are HARD to get over; I’ve cried for two weeks straight before!”
Still, the payoff shows up in the smallest moments.
But fostering is also very rewarding: “Watching these animals blossom! Whether it be seeing an undersocialized kitten or timid dog open up and learn to trust people, watching a kitten or puppy grow up, or being there to experience and witness a dog’s ‘firsts’ (first time on a leash, first bath, first treat, first snow, etc.), each and every one has their own story and their own way of blossoming, and it is just such a rewarding experience being there to witness all this happening.”
“My biggest challenge is also the most enjoyable! As heartbreaking as it is to let go of an animal that you’ve welcomed into your home and treated as one of your own, it’s also such a rewarding feeling to be able to send them off to their forever homes. And my greatest joy post-adoption is receiving updates from the adopters and watching them grow up on Instagram!”
Kittens had no human interaction throughout their lives on the streets, so they needed socialization.
Kona was an experienced parent to many foster kittens, so she knew what to do
That patience paid off, and the kittens slowly started to trust the people around them too.
Warm cuddles worked their magic, and the kittens were assured of their safety. The shy kittens’ confidence grew, and recently, they even interacted with Asa too. Asa wrote on her Instagram, “These two nuggets opened up to mama Kona immediately, but it’s been a much slower process with me. That said, in the past week, they’ve started to eat food out of my hand, purr when petted, fall asleep near me, and even play right in front of me. I’m sure we wouldn’t have made this much progress in the first week if it weren’t for Kona, though, so thanks, mama Kona!”
For more animal caregiving, watch Pickles become security and warmth for two deaf kittens.
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