Last week (or was it the week before?) Jean asked: How many years have you fostered, and how many cats have you rescued/adopted/fostered? And if you feel up to doing the math, how many unwanted kittens have you prevented from being brought into this world due to your selfless fostering? A grateful nation awaits.
I know. It calls for some higher maths, which you probably swore you’d never use when you got out of high school! 😀
I found this an interesting question because I had no idea exactly how many cats we’ve fostered over the years, though from time to time I’ve wondered. So I sat down and figured it out. I even made a spreadsheet so I could get a total number as well as how many were males and how many were females.
The year we started fostering: 2005 (May 19, to be exact).
The total number of cats we’ve fostered: 125
How many females: 60
How many males: 65
The number of our fosters we’ve adopted: 5 – Tom Cullen, Sugarbutt, Joe Bob, Stinkerbelle, and Kara.
The largest litter we’ve had: 7 (The Seven)
The litter size we’ve had most often: 4. We’ve had 9 litters of 4. Followed closely by 5, of which we’ve had 8 litters.
The most fosters we’ve had at one time (which is different from the largest litter!): 9. We had 4 Wonkas and 5 Cookies last Fall, and we have 4 Bookworms and 5 Rescuees right now.
I was really, really surprised to find that we’ve had more males than females – I honestly thought we’d had more females over the years!
The total number of fosters would be higher except that after we adopted Tom Cullen and Sugarbutt in the Fall of 2005, Fred made me promise to take at least 6 months off from fostering so that Tommy and Sugs would be older and thus less able to fight off any illnesses fosters might bring into the house. We ended up going almost a year before I decided it was time to start fostering again, and I brought that she-devil Maddy (our first bottle baby!) into the house in September 2006.
It’s impossible, of course, to figure out how many unwanted kittens we’ve helped prevent from being brought into the world. The number of litters a fertile female can have in a year (3), and the average number of kittens in a litter is 4-6. Fertile female felines can have kittens through their entire lives, so let’s say the average female cat lives 10 years (though they often live longer – sometimes much, much longer). 3 litters per year times 5 kittens per litter, times 10 years is… drumroll…150. And then let’s say that of that 150, half are females, who each go on to have their own 150 kittens, so that’s… 11,250. And we’re not even talking about the males, who can impregnate myriad females. I wouldn’t even know how to come up with totals for the males.
Let’s just say we’ve prevented at least 11,250 unwanted kittens from being born. And that’s just MY fosters. I’m not the only foster parent for Challenger’s House cats, and Challenger’s House isn’t the only cat shelter in this area, let alone the state. When you think about it, it’s kind of amazing that when we walk out of our houses, we aren’t seeing a flood of cats as far as the eye can see.
Because I know you’re totally fascinated by this topic (heh), here are all my fosters, in order of fostering, and pictures of each litter! (If you consider Maddy and Maura – who were the only two cats we had who were “onlies” – to each be their own litter, that means that the Rescuees are our 31st litter!)
The links are to the “about” pages about each litter if one exists for them at Love & Hisses – if one doesn’t yet (on my very long list of stuff to do is cutting and pasting all those entries about the early litters over to Love & Hisses), I linked to their album on Flickr for the time being.
(At some point, I’ll likely go through and find better pictures – I kind of tossed this together last night, and it took a lonnnnng time to weed through the pictures – thank god I have them at least organized by litter name. Did you know I take a LOT of pictures of my fosters? I know you’re surprised!)
Mia, Snoopy, Flossie, Peanut, Oy, and Edgar.
Smitty, Barrett, Little Cal, Sad Eyes.
(“Barrett” became Tom Cullen, and “Sad Eyes” became Sugarbutt – the first fosters we adopted!)
Maddy.
(Our first bottle baby!)
Fezzik, Inigo, Westley, Princess Buttercup.
(Maxi’s babies! When we bought this house and had met Maxi, she showed up one day with her litter – and Newt.)
O’Malley, Christina, Izzie, Meredith Gray.
Catie, Seamus, Mopsy, Flopsy, and Cottontail.
Faith, Noelle, Merry, Kringle, Jack Frost.
Moondance and Moonman
(Moonman later became Joe Bob!)
Fantine, Cosette, Eponine, Javert.
Tina Louise, Spanky, Gilligan, and Maryanne.
(Maryanne later became Stinkerbelle!)
Susannah, Roland, Billy Bumbler, Eddie Dean, Callahan, Jake.
Elle, Skittles, Felicia, Dulcinea, Punki.
Chemda, Keith, Khalili, Patrice, Brolo.
Malley, Spooky, Deuce, Rhian, Jesikat, Peyton.
Kara, River, Inara, Kaylee, Zoe.
Lem, Delmar, Marion, Claudette.
Beulah, Jasper, Caleb, Phinneas, Bessemer, Ezra, Elijah.
Hamilton J. Porks, Jefferson, and their two brothers.
(I never wrote about this litter at Love & Hisses because it was too sad. In short, it was a litter of four kittens who were taken from their mother too soon. I got them when they were only a few days old, and one by one they died. Coming so soon after Mister Boogers died, it was especially hard.)
Terry, Bill, Hoyt, Sookie, Lafayette, Sam.
Mike Teevee, Augustus Gloop, Violet Beauregard, Veruca Salt.
Hydrox, TimTam, Lorna Doone, Keebler, Milano.
M’Lynn, Clairee, Drum, Ouiser, Truvy.
Reacher, Rhyme, Bolitar, Corbett.
Franco, Sheila, Gavin, Garrity, Lieu.
“This is where I hide when I’m overwhelmed by all those fosters.”
Previously
2009: (A story we recounted, and I do not exaggerate here, at least five times over the course of the weekend.)
2008: Taking a few impromptu days off.
2007: No entry.
2006: No entry.
2005: I’ll try to drum up some drama for tomorrow, m’kay?
2004: (For the record, I do vacuum out there every couple of months…)
2003: A Day in the Life
2002: No entry.
2001: No entry.
2000: I will be hurting bad tomorrow, though.
Wow!
You sure have had some cute foster babies I especially love the 3 orange kitties bunch. Weren’t Jake and Elwood fosters too? If so, who were they formerly known as?
I don’t think Jake and Elwood were “fosters.” Weren’t they dropped off with a cool whip container of food on the porch?
What a beautiful presentation, Robyn! You really out did yourself this time! You are a true kitty lover and a grand person for your generosity that keeps on giving to kittehs.
Thanks!
I second that wow!
What a wonderful (albeit a bit teary) trip down memory lane.
‘Nother question: apart from the sad litter of 4 (who look almost premature in that photo) how many have you bottle fed?
And I know that Jake and Elwood mysteriously appeared not long after the loss of Mister B (not a skimmer, me) but they could sort of be fosters, couldn’t they? Or did you know from day one they would be permanent.
You deserve a medal.
I think your math is a little off, Robyn.
EACH female you’ve had (which there were 60 of) could have produced 11,250 kittens in 10 years, between herself and her female offspring (but that’s just the first generation.)
1kitten x 3litters/year x 10 years x 5kittens/litter = 150 kittens / 1/2 (since about 1/2 are female) = 75
75 females x their own 150kittens = 11,250 unwanted kittens PER original female kitten (of which you’ve had 60).
11,250 (potential kittens per female) x 60 (females you’ve fostered) = 675,000 unwanted kittens you have personally prevented from being born.
Am I making sense??
You’re right! When I try to do anything other than simple addition, I always miss something. 🙂 I missed the crucial last step of multiplying by 60.
Holy COW that’s a lot of cats!
Told you it would be a grateful nation!
I recalled reading a statistic of how many unwanted kits could be prevented by spaying a female, but not the actual number. I knew it would be substantial, but not well over a half-million in just 5 years.
Folks like you and Fred are unsung heroes. Thank you!
You two should be very, very proud of yourselves 🙂 How great is it to help so many while having such a good time?!
I love that you can tell when you and Fred name the fosters and when they come with names!
… Just a Huge THANK YOU… from all “your” Kitthehs out there !!!
xoxo
Boy, I loved seeing those little faces this AM. Thanks for the memories and to you and Fred for being so good to the planet and especially to our beloved kittehs.
Something you should note, out of all the fosters you’ve had (125) you’ve only adopted 5, which is only 4% of the fosters you’ve had.
And, statistically speaking, 60 vs 65 (for genders) is fairly even.
And 125 kitties is a lot, you guys should be proud!
It amazes me, all that you’ve done for these adorable kitties. I am proud to blog know you!
That being said – your newly organized links page has got me immersed in many more hourse of new blogs to read. Thank you!
I’m enjoying seeing the photos of the fosters you had before I discovered bitchypoo. I think you may have been on the break when I started reading you. It’s a lot of fun to see all the adorable kitties you and Fred have so kindly helped. I love so many of the names you have chosen too. Bitchypoo is the best happiest place I can go for a smile when I have limited computer time! Thanks for a great post! I’m impressed with all the analytical/statistical/higher maths going on-my brain shuts down in a shuddering panic at that kind of thing. Give me kitties and puppies and words and I’m in MY comfort zone-LOL.
I love the retrospective!!!! Flossie was one of my favorites.
Robyn, this is why I wish I had a boatload of money to buy that huge house I’ve always talked about. I could not give any of those kittehs up. I know it’s probably so hard for you to take them to be adopted. Once again, your karma points must be off the charts! 😀
Cool. I was going to say wow, but I hate repeating someone else! Jean had a great idea. I loved the trip down memory lane. I was amazed how I remembered the early fosters the second I saw their name/faces. I still want Maddy even if she is a hellion!
Val
I remember all those kitties! I think those Christmas Kittens were my favorites, but then I see another group and I remember how I loved them and then they are my favorites. I am so glad that I don’t live near you because I would have 5,000 cats.
dammit, after seeing all of those pics of cute kitties… i want more! 🙂
Unbelievable. Numbers seem sterile until you see their faces. I think another point to make is that not only did you foster so many, and prevent so very many, the 125 found forever homes instead of a life on the streets or worse. So crazy impressive. Thanks for doing this. Seems pathetic to say thanks but it is heartfelt.
How in the world do you come up with all those names!? And amazing job on the half million prevented kitties.
Wow. You have done so much. I am humbled. And they are all so so so damn fucking cute!!! Lots of stripeys!
Thanks for all you guys do.
What’s the average length of time each litter stays with you (approximate, you don’t have to go calculate it out precisely)? Because I’ve been reading since somewhere between Sugarbutt and Maddy, but there’s a BUTTLOAD of cats I don’t recognize – I wonder if some of them were one-night-wonders or something.
LOL Aren’t you glad I gave you PERMISSION to estimate the numbers? I’m sure you were just panic-stricken that you wouldn’t be able to tell me the precise number of days, hours, and minutes on each litter in time… *rolling eyes at self*
I’m glad somebody else pointed out that your math was way low. You and Fred are bonafide kitty cat heroes! I’m glad there are folks like you in the world—it gives me hope. xoxoxo