GLENDALE, Wis. — Every pet deserves to have its forever home. Unfortunately for some, they wait in shelters for long periods of time before they end up in their loving owner's arms. That's where foster parents like Cindy and Chuck Meyer come in to help. They've fostered 306 cats in just 12 years, keeping hundreds of feline friends out of shelters.
"Because if you domesticate something, you have a responsibility for it. And if we don’t do it, who is?" Chuck Meyer said.
He and Cindy relieve the pressure off of overcrowded shelters, help sick cats become healthy, and socialize them with humans. The most they have ever fostered at once was six cats they called the Brady Bunch. It's all facilitated through the Wisconsin Humane Society.
"I like taking care of animals that are a challenge. They’re sick. Or they're behavior - (have) behavior issues - and being in a shelter environment can be very stressful for the animals, so bringing them into a foster home helps them get better and helps them find their forever home," Cindy said.
They started by fostering dogs; however, cats proved to be easier to help given their schedules as nurses. They keep each cat for 30-60 days.
"We found that cats are just unique different personalities each and everyone," Chuck said.
They also facilitate adoptions through their home. That means the cats are adopted out of their Glendale home instead of at a shelter. It allows them to meet the people who are taking the furry friends in after they've given so much care and attention to the cats.
"We get follow up which is kind of nice from a standpoint of you get to see how your children are doing in the real world," Chuck said.
On two occasions, the cats have made such an impression on the Meyers that they've adopted the cats themselves. Their names are Connie and Belle. It's a term that is known in the community as 'foster failing'.
Both Chuck and Cindy admit what they do is a little bit extreme.
"Well, we're always one cat away from being the crazy cat ladies I guess," Chuck said.
"I've got a little thing over there that says crazy cat lady. I’ve got a magnet on my car that says crazy cat lady. I think it draws people to you, and if they're a crazy cat lady too then great," Cindy said.
But what's crazy about helping a cat find its forever home? Nothing.
"It's 306 animals that aren’t out there outside being in danger or astray or whatever bad thing that can happen to them," Cindy said.
