WHY DO I KEEP DOING THIS TO MYSELF???

Leslie Harris here, and once again, it’s time to say goodbye to my foster kittens.

I’ve had this particular batch since they were two days old, so I literally saved their lives. They were born at a high-kill shelter who had no way of taking care of them for two and a half months. I’m trying to hold it together today, especially as I’m filling in for Mitch, but it’s hard.

I love all cats, and especially ones that I have become a surrogate mom to. So why do I keep doing it?

I hear from a lot of people that they could never foster, because they could never give up the kittens. I used to feel that way too, but what is worse, the heartbreak of giving them up, or the heartbreak of knowing that they would have died had I not taken them in? And many of them will suffer very painful deaths from illness, injury, disease, starvation and more if they are not rescued and nursed back to health.

So tonight when I get off the air, I will head home and grab three of these little nuggets and take them to the shelter, and then I probably won’t ever see them again. And I will cry buckets. And then I will get some more foster kittens and do it all over again.

If you’d like to help save the lives of kittens or puppies, (or even adult dogs and cats) contact your local shelter. Foster families are always in high demand, and we just don’t have enough for all of the beautiful cats and dogs that need a temporary place to land while they’re waiting for their forever homes.

And as always, adopt, don’t shop.