Sophomore Grace Pickering would never have imagined taking on the job as a mother to a newborn baby. On a stormy spring afternoon, Pickering and her mother heard a faint crying sound from the back of their patio. To their surprise, they went outside in the rain to discover four newborn kittens clumped on their patio chair. The kittens were abandoned in the cold. Pickering’s family brought the kittens inside to keep them warm and safe. After the rain stopped, Pickering put the kittens back outside with food for the mama.

“The best way for cats to be raised is by their mother because that is how they get the best care needed. We were hoping to get the mother to come back for her kittens,” Pickering said.

Later that evening, the mother visited Pickering’s home but took only three of the four baby kittens. Leaving one kitten behind, Pickering decided to keep the kitten and call it her own.

“April is my favorite month of the year because the cold and gloomy winter season changes into the warm spring weather. I decided to name my cat April because to me she represented happiness,” Pickering said.

After naming the cat April, Pickering visited her mother’s friend who fosters kittens to make sure April was healthy. Pickering and her family were also taught the responsibilities of fostering a premature kitten, such as bottle feeding, regulating body temperature and even stimulation to use the restroom.

“The hardest part for me was waking up every hour during school nights the first week or so to bottle feed her,” Pickering said.

Despite the major obstacles of fostering a week old kitten, Pickering does not regret the challenge. She wants to be a veterinarian when she grows up. The training she has learned from fostering April not only taught her child development skills but gave her a glimpse of the challenges within her future career path.

“I feel like she has opened my eyes to truly caring for someone. Seeing April grow has inspired me to want to do this for other animals. A little light came into my life, and I knew what I needed to do,” Pickering said.

Senior Ryley Pickering also helps take care of the kitten and is glad to add another furry friend to their family.

“Our family has never had a cat before. I don’t know much about raising kittens but I’d say they’re doing a great job,” Pickering said.