Meet the Kitten Whisperer
Dec 13, 2021
Like many, Carrie Reznicek’s path to becoming a foster parent wasn’t a straight line. But it was definitely inevitable.
“I was fascinated with PAWS’ facility, especially their Adoption Center and their whole No Kill mission. I talked to my husband and said, ‘Gosh, I wish I had time to foster.’ But I work full-time, we have three kids, and he’s a physician. But sometimes, I would stop by and look at the cats in the window, just trying to figure out how I could get involved,” says Carrie.
Then, one sweltering day in 2019, Carrie and her husband were at a lemonade stand in the Gold Coast when they spotted a sweet, shaggy little puppy. That puppy’s owner just happened to be a PAWS Chicago board member.
“We went over to pet the dog and we struck up a conversation. I asked, ‘Where’d you get your pup?’ and he said, ‘Oh, we foster for PAWS.’ He told me about their dire need for fosters, and how important they are to the entire No Kill mission—if they can’t foster out, they can’t bring more into the Medical Center. I immediately thought, ‘I’m doing this,’” says Carrie.
She and her family made a plan to convert an extra bedroom into a foster room. After that, everything fell into place.
“I went online and applied, and they called and interviewed me, and that’s how I got started. I said I would love to take kittens because our daughters were so enthralled with our two forever cats when they were babies,” says Carrie.
Once the PAWS foster team got to know Carrie and saw how her foster kittens came back healthy, happy and strong, we worked with her to gradually take on full litters with mama cats, followed by groups of orphans.
“This last group I had, the foster team said, ‘These babies are 5 days old. They don’t have their mom. They’re full-bottle babies. Will you take them?’ Of course, I did,” says Carrie.
Bottle-feeding presents a whole new set of challenges and next-level dedication. But Carrie took it on for Simon, Selke, Sadie, Scamp, and Samson, who were dropped off at the Medical Center in a plastic bag and found in the parking lot.
“It’s exhausting, but so rewarding. It is every 2 hours when they’re that young. I was getting up the in the night multiple times: making the formula, putting it in the tiny bottles, going and getting them all to take it, making sure they’re latching okay. But it’s incredible to feed them literally in the palm of my hand and feel their little bellies expanding. They fall back to sleep and you can tell they’re so gratified and satisfied and comfortable," Carrie says.
Over time, bottle feedings are increasingly spaced out. Then, a mixture of wet food, formula, and water is introduced.
“Eventually you teach them to drink out of a dish. Then it’s less of the formula and more of the wet food. By about 5 to 7 weeks, they’re weened onto wet food and then you introduce the dry food as well as litter box training,” said Carrie.
Bathroom business at this young age is messy business. Training involves literally scratching their little paws in the litterbox for them. There are lots of near-misses, accidents, and laundry. But eventually they get it, and that’s all a part of caring for orphans.
“They don’t have a mom to watch, right?” Carrie says. “They don’t have a mom to learn to clean themselves. They don’t have a mom to watch use the litter box, to learn how to eat solid food. All of that is somewhat instinctual, but they’re generally watching a mother learn those things. So the foster parent has to step in and be their mother and teach them the best we can how to be a proper, four-legged kitten.”
But all that responsibility pays off.
“One of the most rewarding things, when you raise a kitten that young, is that they truly imprint on you. You are — in every way shape and form — what they identify as their parent. You are their food source, their comfort source, their warmth source. And that bond is way different. Fostering every level of animal is awesome, but there is a true difference watching kittens when you’ve been their mother,” said Carrie.
Physical health is an extremely important part of every kitten’s journey. Cats need to reach two pounds and be considered strong and healthy before undergoing spay/neuter surgery and being approved for adoption. But socialization is equally critical to their growth.
“By socializing I mean teaching the kittens how to play, teaching them not to bite your fingers. Teaching them their kitten manners,” says Carrie. “Part of my job is not only getting these kittens healthy, but getting them truly socialized so they’re ready to go into homes and be super adoptable animals.”
Each kitten requires unique care. Some kittens instantly love wand toys. Some absolutely freak out. Some kittens are territorial over food. Some are super protective of certain toys. Carrie works with each animal to overcome these challenges, and includes detailed descriptions of each kitten in her foster reports.
“The other thing that I do a lot with my kittens is massage their front paws. Because that gets them used to people touching their paws, which will ultimately make it easier for the vets, or their forever homes, to clip their toenails,”Carrie adds.
Thanks to Carrie’s hard work and commitment, every single kitten she has fostered has quickly gone on to a loving home. While it’s a tough job, she wouldn’t change it for the world.
“It’s a process, but I love it. If I didn’t love it, I wouldn’t have done it 100 plus times now. I’ve loved every minute of it. I’m thankful that I have the opportunity to do this. I’m thankful PAWS has the mission that they have. I’m thankful that I have a room and am able to take these large groups. It’s been a journey,” said Carrie.
To anyone on the fence about becoming a foster, Carrie encourages you to just do it. “You do it once, and there’s no fence anymore. Once you take that leap, you will be addicted and rally everyone you can behind you to also do it. Just take the leap of faith.”
We want to give a huge thank-you to Carrie and her whole family, including husband Jeff Cilley, daughters Lexi and Zoe, and their forever cats Amity, Sequoia, and PAWS alum Sarim!