Here's something you might not know about Ideastream Public Media's education reporter: He loves cats. Or, rather, I love cats.
We had five cats in the house when I was growing up. I still have my first stuffed animal, an orange cat I dubbed "Rocky." And up until recently, I was living my best life with my best friend, a sweet little Manx cat named Bobby.
Bobby was my first attempt at fostering cats. This little Reporter's Notebook essay is a tribute to her. But it's also about the importance of fostering.
Back when I lived in Athens, Ohio, I had reported on the fact that the rural county had no shelter specifically for cats. Because of that, the Athens County Humane Society placed cats in various businesses for shelter, including the Import House, a beloved local retailer that's sadly since closed. I was enchanted by Bobby when I met her there, watching her pad her way carefully past knickknacks and glass bongs.
Businesses were important due to the limited shelter capacity in Athens, and for the same reason, so were foster parents ready to take in cats. I wanted to help, so I took Bobby home. Although it wasn't my aim to, she ended up being a classic "foster fail" story, where your temporary care of a pet ends up becoming permanent.
She was my constant companion through the ups and downs of life over the last eight years, including moving to Cleveland five years ago. She was known for sleeping on my chest, greeting visitors at the door like a dog and galloping around the house like a tailless jackrabbit.
I lost Bobby a few months ago, in October. She had a prolonged seizure and never recovered, despite my rushing her to the emergency vet. It hurts me still to even write these words.
But I'm hoping that talking about her might help some other animals out.
When Bobby first had a seizure in the spring of 2025, I brought her to Metropolitan Veterinary Hospital in Akron. While waiting, I met someone with Maddox and Friends Cat Rescue, and we commiserated about the expenses of emergency vet bills.
What I didn't realize at the time is that this small but mighty nonprofit in Conneaut frequently takes on cats with serious medical needs. I've followed them on Facebook ever since, and scrolling through their feed, you'll see dozens of heartbreaking — and, yet, uplifting — stories. A kitten with a horrible eye abscess found nearly dead beneath a trailer, or a kitty who was picked up missing one of its feet. Those cats and many more were given medical attention, a chance to heal and a shot at adoption.
But rescue organizations like Maddox or the Athens County Humane Society need help. Every spring, they brace themselves for "kitten season," when warmer temperatures mean hundreds of thousands of cats are born across the country. There's also just a large stray population in general in the U.S., and not enough funding or help going toward spaying and neutering them. Bobby was born on a farm somewhere out in Athens County, and apparently she had a few kittens before she was picked up.
Outside of donating or participating in a trap, neuter and release program, fostering can be a big help. It takes a burden off rescues like Maddox, and it helps the animals, too. It frees up space at shelters, and gives pets a quiet place to heal if they've been injured. The animals get one-on-one love and socialization, too. That socialization helps their personalities shine, and also boosts their chances of being adopted. Plus, it's fun for the person fostering the animals. I can attest to that.
As a journalist, I keep an eye on local news, even if it's not on my beat, education. I recently saw that the Cleveland Animal Protective League announced a new foster program. The goal of the Crisis Safety Net program is to help owners keep their pets, despite hardships like domestic violence, hospitalization or homelessness. They can surrender their animals temporarily, to be cared for by someone locally, until they get back on their feet.
This move makes sense, considering the rising costs of housing and everything else causing a crisis for shelter systems, the Bissell Pet Foundation reports. People are surrendering their dogs and cats in larger numbers, forced to make a hard decision between affording rent and keeping their companion.
For my part, I'm still grieving the loss of my cat, I know I will return to fostering soon. I want to honor Bobby's memory by helping out other kitties just like her. Plus, my apartment feels pretty empty without a little furry friend (or two) to lay claim to it. I'll try to report back on my journey later this year!
