This temporary foster kitten parent took in a kitten, but when it came time to make a decision about whether to adopt him or find him a different home, they weren’t sure.
Helping Arnold
This person took in a little kitten to help out a nearby shelter. The kitten was only 4 weeks old, and the shelter needed someone to help raise him until he was ready for adoption, and then take him back to the shelter.
The person and their family named the cat Arnold. He was a real sweetie, with the cutest tabby stripes and the softest-looking paws.
A hard decision
When the deadline to return Arnold to the shelter began to approach, the people started having second thoughts, and they didn’t know what to do. They loved raising him, and he seemed to be at home already. They said:
“Now that he’s named and feels quite comfortable here, it’s hard to just take him back.”
But they also wanted to be realistic. They knew that if they officially adopted Arnold, they would be in charge of taking care of him for the rest of his life. That wasn’t a responsibility that people should take lightly.
They were also worried because it had already been difficult enough to raise him, and they weren’t sure if they’d be able to continue to keep his kitten shenanigans in check.
Asking for advice
They took their concern to the internet, posting about it on one of the Reddit cat communities. They wanted to know what other people thought.
Unsurprisingly, most of the people who responded encouraged them to keep Arnold. They had already done such a good job raising him, so why would they stop now?
Arnold also fit in well with the other animals in his family. The people have another cat named Sylvester, and he and Arnold make such cute cat brothers. They love to play together.
Arnold also has a dog sibling named Akita, and they love each other, spending lots of time together. Who would think of separating them?
But one person commented, making a good argument for the other side of things. They said:
“…Arnold will likely have a good chance at being adopted as a kitten, and you could help socialize another one.”
-Future_Branch_8629
That’s the idea of full-time kitten foster parents, after all. They love the kittens they take care of, but they want to have room to help more kittens in need, so they are willing to let go and adopt their fosters out into good forever homes.
The decision was already made
However, since these people were asking and having such a hard time deciding, it was clear that they were probably already leaning toward keeping Arnold and just wanted someone else to validate their decision. They said:
“I guess someone just needed to say it. Everyone around here loves him, even our Akita.”
They still have until Friday to decide, but it looks like they’re keeping Arnold. Whatever happens, we hope he ends up in an amazing forever home!