A woman was forced to call the pet agency after a cat she was fostering quickly made it apparent they weren’t going to leave.
Actor and filmmaker Katie Austin, 38, from San Francisco, became a cat foster carer when her debilitating long Covid caused her to pause her career. She has been left with extreme fatigue and Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), which affects the heart.
Since being diagnosed, Austin has poured her energy into giving cats a loving home, before they eventually find their forever family.
And while it usually goes smoothly, she recently had to call the foster agency to let them know there was a bit of a problem when it came to one of her current kittens, Ella.
She told Newsweek: “I had been hoping for a little buddy who wants to hang out with me and cuddle all day. I thought a cat would be too aloof to fit that role — but Ella has been trying to prove me wrong.”
It led to Austin sending a video message to the foster agency, which she then shared to her TikTok account @clickclickpurr, now boasting 4 million views and almost 650,000 likes.
The clip shows Austin lying on the sofa, with tabby Ella squished up as close to Austin’s face as possible, taking a nap while resting on her cheek.
Austin tells agency worker, Antonia: “I am unfortunately in a love bond with one of the kittens,” then jokes: “I’m not going to tell you which one, I’ll leave it as a surprise.”
TikTok @clickclickpurrr
“I don’t know what to do. I need to talk about the options for ‘foster failing’ whenever you get a chance,” she adds, using the term for when a foster carer cannot give up the animal and ends up adopting them.
Austin, who also posts about her medical journey on her account @postvirallife, told Newsweek: “My husband is jealous that she [Ella] sleeps with her head on my face — and I would be too! It’s the best, and everyone should experience a love like this.”
There are huge positives to fostering cats, as it can introduce the animal to new pools of prospective adopters, and provides a safe, healthy environment for the pets to heal or grow, according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA).
It also, crucially, creates more space in shelters for other animals in need.
Austin explained Ella and her siblings came to her through the agency and many of the other kittens have already found forever homes.
Ella had initially suffered from an eye infection but has recovered and is now “like a hummingbird zipping around the house, ready to play at all times”.
TikTok users instantly fell in love with Ella, with one commenter writing: “As a former cat foster coordinator, receiving this video would have made my entire week.”
Another joked: “Are you ever [going to] tell us which kitten it is because the suspense is killing me.”
“I just know Antonia was cracking up,” one said, and another kindly asked: “Are they a foster fail when you successfully found their forever home?”
TikTok @clickclickpurrr
In positive news, Austin told Newsweek: “Everyone wants to know Antonia’s response — she said she’d be happy if Ella landed with us forever, so that’s great news!
“That said, we don’t need to make a decision until she gets an application so we’re still just enjoying each other without ‘defining the relationship’,” she joked.
Austin admitted she was “shocked” at the video going viral, having only expected friends and the foster agency to see it, but, added, she was “glad the video resonated with so many people.”
She said: “That means there’s thousands of people out there fostering animals and falling in love with them every day.”
“That’s the kind of news that’s worth sharing,” she added.
Austin, who works with both the Community Cat Rescue and the Homeless Cat Network, urged anyone considering fostering to do so.
She explained: “The [organization] takes care of all the costs of care, including medical, until the animals are adopted.
“So, it’s a really great way to dip your toe into pet ownership without the financial burden or lifetime commitment.”
Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.
