Safford woman fosters cats, finds companionship during COVID

Forced to socially distance like everyone else, Amerson began fostering kittens and pregnant cats.

The cats improved her life immeasurably during the lockdown and continue to do so now, she said.

“They definitely will give you a purpose,” she said. “If you don’t have a lot of social connections, especially right now, they will keep you happy. Doing this during the pandemic is a huge benefit. They’re active, they’re entertainment, and they kept me from being alone...they were company for me.”

One of the first cats she fostered was a pregnant cat that came from a “kill shelter” in New Mexico. The animal was so malnourished she only gave birth to three kittens, but she took on two other kittens as her own.

“She was the most attentive mother. She adopted another little kitten and accepted even another kitten that was found frozen,” she said. “She wouldn’t let another adult cat near her kittens.”

A couple found one of the kittens alone in the park just before the first frost last year and they could only tell it was breathing because its mouth would open and close periodically.

“She was just a little bit bigger than a quarter of a pound of butter,” she said.

By helping this kitten find a family with another nursing cat’s litter, Amerson helped the animal survive.

Each of the cats has a unique personality, and she appreciates the affection and character each cat expresses. Right now she has one who always wants to be in her lap.

“He’ll just look up at you and it’s almost like he’s saying, ‘I just love you so much. You’re supposed to pet me now,’” she said.

So far, Amerson has sent 12 cats out for adoption, and she hopes to continue to work with the Desert Cat Rescue and Sanctuary. She pays for the cat food and litter, and fosters the cats for however long it takes for them to be old enough to be spayed or neutered and sent to PetSmart to be adopted.

Fosters make the sanctuary’s work possible, Christensen said.

“Once in a while there is someone special like Lou who chooses to foster. She is an amazing help to us, and she fosters with a smile,” she said. “It is such a delight to not only be able to make a difference in the lives of the kitties we help, but to know we have made a difference in someone’s life at the same time is absolutely priceless.”

Right now the sanctuary has 14 foster homes within Graham County, but Christensen said she’d love for people in Greenlee, Cochise, and Pima counties to reach out to her if they’re interested in fostering.

“Fostering is a very rewarding thing to do. You provide a home and love for an animal that desperately needed your help. The alternative for that animal is likely not pleasant. They get to live because you cared enough to open you home for a short while,” said Christensen.