First Prize? A Kitten! Second Prize? Two Kittens!

What could be any more fun than making up stories except to do it with a kitten on your shoulder?

I've always had cats, but kittens only for a few weeks. Just as long as it took to get them through adolescence to grown-up cats. Then I discovered fostering.

The best gig ever! As I said to everyone who cautioned me before we started, I have an adult cat. What I wanted was kittens. Thirty-eight kittens later, and we've resisted keeping every one. Because if we didn't give them back, we wouldn't get any more.

It's not all fun and games, though. Imagine how much litter five kittens who are eating like little piggies manage to dirty. Plus the cuties are fragile and often sick. But beyond feeding, scooping, and nurse-maiding, our job is to hold them, play with them, and get them ready for adoption. And if we are lucky, we get to see the new kitty parents fall in love.