For Fran Eisenman, good things come in very small packages. As a volunteer for Merrimack River Feline Rescue Society (MRFRS) in Salisbury, Mass., Eisenman fosters "bottle babies:" rescued neonatal kittens that otherwise would die without attentive, round-the-clock care. The kittens are so helpless that they cannot even eat or eliminate on their own. Having fostered between 12 and 20 newborns per year for 12 years, Eisenman has nurtured and saved more than 200 cats altogether.
"The first few weeks can be hairy and sleep-deprived," admits Eisenman, who must feed, express and groom the kittens every 21Ú2 to 3 hours, just like a mother cat would. She manages to juggle the commitment along with a 70-hour-per-week job, while also caring for her family. She does this by taking her "babies" in a carrier everywhere she goes, including work, restaurants, grocery shopping and even camping.
**Get the June 2008 issue of CAT FANCY to read the full article.**