I'm Hoppergrass.  Yes, that's my name . . . Hoppergrass.  I am a black, Oriental cat who went through a lot of stress until I found my permanent home.  One day my owner who had 19 cats, took me to the SPCA because he had too many cats and I was pregnant.  I was put in a cage, terrified.  Somebody put a box in my cage where I could hide and I didn't come out to eat or to use the litterbox.  A few days later I was taken to another strange house (a foster home).  I was wondering where I was - ANOTHER new place?  I don't like this!  I hid under the bed or in my cage.  A few days later, I had 6 absolutely beautiful kittens.  They were black with what looked like smears of bright silver paint brushed on their bodies.  I was so happy!  I LOVE kittens!!  After the birth, my foster realized how emaciated I was.  Nobody knows if that had anything to do with the tradegy that was about to happen.  The morning after I had my babies, the foster noticed that one of them was not doing well.  That kitten died within a couple of hours.  The foster family was frantic and was on the phone with the SPCA and running to the center to help my babies.  A couple more hours later, another of my babies died.  Two hours later, I was put into a crate and taken to the SPCA.  Why am I being taken somewhere again?  Somebody started doing things to my third baby trying to save him, but he stopped breathing too.  Why am I being moved to strange places and why are my babies dying??  I went to another new foster home where somebody was going to try to save my babies.  I liked this new home much better than the SPCA, but I was still very stressed being somewhere new.  This lady kept handling my babies, trying to get them to nurse.  I was trying really hard to feed them, but another baby died.  That night my fifth kitten died.  I had only one more.  The next day she died too.   
 
Nobody realized how sad I was.  I was confused.  I'm in a strange place, with people I don't know and all my babies died.  My foster mom let me come out of my room and roam the house.  I met some other cats and began to spend a lot of time with my foster mom.  I talked to her all the time (even in the middle of the night).  She let me cuddle with her while she watched tv.  She cuddled with me in bed before she fell asleep and I'd wake her up every single night and ask her to scratch my belly.   Then something wonderful happened!  My foster mom brought in four little kittens who she had to bottle feed every three hours.  I was right there at every feeding, talking and watching.  One day while she was cleaning the kitten room, I stole a kitten and hid him under the bed upstairs!  I was in trouble, but I know that my foster mom's heart was tugging knowing that I wanted to be a mom to these motherless kittens.  The kittens eventually were able to come out of the kitten room and stay in a huge cage in the living room.  When all the people left the house, I'd lay next to the kitten cage until the people came back home.  When the kittens came out to play, I'd grab them and give them good baths.  I'd make sure they all stayed close to me too.  I was happy again!  I followed my foster mom everywhere and was part of the family!  I loved my foster mom and my foster kittens!!
 
Then my foster mom went away for two days.  The kittens were packed up and taken to another house . . . without me!  I was left at the house with my foster's other animals.  We were taken care of, but where was my foster mom who I was very attached to?  Where were those kittens I was taking care of?  I was mad and very depressed.  When my foster mom came back, I didn't let her touch me for the whole day and I didn't talk to her for two days.  My foster mom then realized what an emotional cat I was.  I get attached to people and animals.  I don't like changing homes.  Since I left my first home, I went to the SPCA, a foster home, had babies, was taken back to the SPCA and then another foster home while watching all my babies die.  Then my new foster mom took my foster kittens away and left me for two days.  How much more can I take? 
 
I stayed at my foster home for about 6 weeks.  I was available for adoption, but my foster mom was in NO hurry to find me a home.  One day a family came to see me.  I didn't make the best first impression.  I am super friendly, talkative, affectionate and love people, but I didn't want to be around strangers!  I must have made some kind of decent impression, because they wanted to adopt me!  My foster mom was happy, well, not really . . . not at all!