I think it has been an amazing experience for me and the kids," said Kristin Inman of Elverson when describing her experience fostering cats for the Animal Rescue League of Berks County (ARL). "It is a great learning experience, a great way to find empathy and learn how to care for something. It fills our hearts."

As part of the ARL foster program, individuals and families provide a temporary home for rescued animals until the cats or dogs can find their forever homes. The foster program not only frees up space at the shelter, but also provides individualized care to animals in need.

"Come summer and spring, the shelters are so crowded and are overflowing (with adoptable animals). It is not an ideal environment for animals. If you have it in your heart to foster, it is great for any animal who gets to be in a foster home over a shelter," Inman said, adding that fostering is also a way to determine if the family is ready for a pet. "If you think you might want an animal - a cat or dog - fostering is way to learn if you are really up for the responsibility."

Inman and her two children, Garrett and Josie, are currently fostering Tiny, an 11-year-old cat that was brought to the ARL when her owner was no longer able to care for her. "She is considered a senior cat, but I think cats, especially indoor cats, can live 18 to 20 years," Inman noted. "A lot of people want kittens, so it is hard for older cats to get adopted."

She said that Tiny would make an ideal pet because she is good with kids and other cats. "Everybody wants kittens because kittens are fun and adorable, but I found with this latest foster is that the senior cats are sometimes more enjoyable," noted Inman, adding that the ARL provides a discount for those who adopt senior pets. "They are fairly set in their ways. They know what they want."

"Tiny loves love. She loves to be petted," Inman added. "She would make a phenomenal companion cat. She is the most playful of all our cats, which is another surprise because I thought seniors cats didn't play."

In addition to Tiny, the family has two pet cats, Mack and Fiddler, a "foster fail." "We got Mack from the Brandywine Valley SPCA. I thought he might need a friend," Inman recalled. "I didn't want to just get a cat and not know how they would get along, so I signed up to foster through the ARL."

First, the family fostered three 3-month-old kittens. "Our job was to socialize them, meaning that they were very spicy kittens. They would not let people near them," said Inman. "They wanted people to work with them closely to get them ready for adoption."

"They stayed with us for about three months. Two of them got adopted at once, and we decided to keep the third - Fiddler," she added.

Next, the family fostered four black kittens that were only a week old. "The next group of kittens we got were friendly. They were part of a litter of seven," Inman said. "It was so fun, but so much work. We had them for several months because they (weighed) a pound and we had to help them gain weight so they could be fixed. They flourished."

She said it was hard for the family to give up the kittens because they became attached. "They started to recognize us as family, and it broke my heart," she said. "My mother adopted one of the black kittens, and we get to see her. She doesn't remember us, which made me feel better (about releasing them to their permanent homes)."

She said that fostering benefits not only adoptable animals, but the foster family as well. "Fostering is amazing because you get to really get a sense of the animal's personality, and it's fun to see all the different personalities," Inman stated. "Here, they have love 24/7. I work from home, and I take 'cat breaks' to cuddle with them. They are also great emotional support."

For more information about the foster program and to complete an application, visit http://www.berksarl.org/foster. Those interested in adopting Tiny may make an appointment to meet her by emailing adoption@berksarl.org.