Homeless cats find foster care with senior citizens BY PATRICIA YOCZIS Correspondent Eileen McDonnell wants to help senior citizens and retirees with limited income to experience the joy and companionship of a pet cat. With no cost for veterinary fees and help with food and litter if needed, McDonnell can partner a suitable cat with a senior who is willing to act as a foster caregiver and who will provide a loving home for a homeless animal. "Many seniors and retirees are on fixed incomes and worry about the costs a pet incurs," said McDonnell, the founder and president of Hope for Animals, which is based in Manalapan. "All the cats that are fostered have received veterinary care, including shots and tests, and have been neutered or spayed before they are eligible for a foster home. Any further medical care is covered by our organization, too." McDonnell, a resident of Metuchen, Middlesex County, calls the fostering program "Senior Citizens for Senior Cats" because the cats that are most in need of foster care are older cats. "Spring brings an influx of kittens and mother cats," she said. "We need to make room for them and have our older residents, who are harder to adopt, in loving foster homes." Senior citizens, according toMcDonnell, may be able to provide more care and attention to older cats that may have special needs, such as not being around young children or other pets, or perhaps needing medication that is covered by Hope for Animals. "Also, if a vacation or an unexpected trip happens, a pet sitter is found," she said. "When the senior caregiver can no longer foster the cat due to illness, moving away, or any other circumstance, the cat comes back to us and we, as its owners, continue its care." While not only seniors can provide foster care,McDonnell believes that seniors are a good match and may themselves receive health benefits. "Studies show that people who have a pet, such as a cat, may lessen the potential for medical problems, including lowering their blood pressure, and reducing stress and the risk for cardiac problems," she said. There is no fee for fostering a cat, said McDonnell, who is an executive secretary at Saint Peter's University Hospital, New Brunswick.After an application is received, a phone call interview or home visit discusses the suitability of foster care before a cat is delivered to a home, she said. McDonnell said she is grateful for the assistance of veterinarians Dr. Jan Rottenberg, Just for Cats, Edison, and Dr. Joseph R. Fenton, Ramtown Animal Hospital, Howell, for providing medical care for the homeless cats. Approximately 35 volunteers currently assist the work of Hope for Animals, including the responsibility for the cat adoption room that houses about 10 prospective cat adoptees at PetSmart, Route 9 south, Manalapan. Hope for Animals, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, receives food, pet items and funds by donations and fundraisers, such as a recent sale of Old Monmouth Candies that are made in Freehold. Garage sales held by civic organizations and homeowners have provided an opportunity to inform the public about the organization's work in adoption, fostering and rescuing cats that have become homeless. For more information about senior foster care for cats or other programs, call McDonnell at (732) 549-1270.