From rescued to rehomed: Phoebe's story

At just a week or two old, this little kitten was fending for herself in a bush when she was rescued by a kind stranger. Upon her arrival at our Palmerston North Centre, the team quickly realised she was missing her front right paw, and got to work providing her with the care she desperately needed.

Being so young, she was bottle-fed by our Centre team at first, with around-the-clock care provided so she could grow. Our vets recommended amputation for her injured leg, but she’d need to spend time gaining her strength back before this would be possible.

To ensure she had this important recovery time and the chance to grow in a safe, quiet environment, she went into foster care after she was weaned. Her loving foster mum (and eventually forever mum), Ivy, knew this little kitten was special.

Ivy took her in when she was around three to four weeks old, naming her Phoebe after the "iconic" Phoebe Bridgers. Phoebe quickly became accustomed to her new surroundings – even though she had to wear her “cone of shame” for a few extra weeks while her leg wound continued to heal. After the cone came off, Ivy tells us Phoebe was “zipping around like crazy!”

As it turns out, Phoebe wouldn't be a foster for long. “I decided I would keep Phoebe pretty much as soon as I met her,” Ivy says. “I just fell in love immediately. And although I was lying to myself and saying I would give her back to SPCA, I think I knew I wouldn’t.”

The deciding factor was Phoebe’s relationship with the house’s other cat, Gus. “If he didn’t get along with her, there was no way we could have kept her,” Ivy tells us. “Thankfully, he took her in as his baby almost immediately. He began grooming her, playing with her, and showing her all his favourite hidey holes and toys.” Phoebe and Gus forged a strong friendship – that even survived a period of separation.

When Phoebe needed to travel to Wellington for her amputation, she spent two weeks undergoing surgery and recovery. They say absence makes the heart grow fonder, and this was certainly the case for Gus. Ivy tells us that “when Phoebe left for Wellington, Gus was almost beside himself. He was always looking for her – he had Sooty (our other foster cat) to play with, but it was obvious that he just didn’t quite compare to Phoebe.”

Ivy says that since coming back from Wellington, Phoebe has fit seamlessly back into the family. “I was a bit worried that when she came back from Wellington, she might not remember us, and Gus may not recognise her. But right after putting her carrier down, she was zooming around and playing with us – exactly how she was when we left her! We thought it would be a slow intro process to get them reacquainted, but she was tackling Gus within seconds!”

“Having her at home makes me question how I ever got around without her,” Ivy says.“She’s always there to sit on my lap when I’m studying, to cuddle under the covers at night, and to sit on my shoulder and give me kisses as I do chores around the house.

“I truly think it’s fate that we found each other, and I am so thankful to the SPCA team for looking after her and entrusting me to do so too.”

We couldn’t be more thrilled that these two have become family – and thank Ivy from the bottom of our hearts.

As kitten season kicks off in earnest around the country, hundreds of vulnerable kittens just like Phoebe will be in need of help. This time of year highlights SPCA’s desperate need for its foster network – and for dedicated carers like Ivy to step up to the plate.

“Fostering through the SPCA is so much fun!” says Ivy. “There is truly nothing to lose and everything to gain. If you’re thinking about it, I’d say just give it a go! You can work with the shelter staff to find a temporary furbaby that works for you and your home, as well as a time commitment that works for you.

“It’s super flexible, and the shelter team are always there to help and support you. Even more importantly, it is so beneficial for these animals to get out of the shelter and into a home, just for a little bit,” Ivy says. “It relieves some stress off the shelters (they are working so hard!). For kittens and puppies, it gives them a super great start to life. For older cats and dogs, it gives them a holiday from the shelter, and a chance to become accustomed to being in a house with different stimuli and experiences, as well as being loved by a foster parent one on one!”

Learn more about fostering, and see which Centres currently need new foster parents, on this page of our website. If you feel a pull to open your heart and home to vulnerable animals like Phoebe, we’d love it if you jumped at the chance – you’ll be helping animals around the country on their way to better lives.