Daniel Morelock contacted us offering to foster kittens back in March 2009. We soon realized Daniel has the special touch that enables him to tame feral kittens. His secret is a quiet, gentle approach, patience, persistence, and an indefinable sixth sense about felines. Daniel has tamed and adopted out 29 kittens/cats all together. He has transported his kittens to their new homes as far away as Charlotte, Spartanburg, and Asheville, and he has received prospective adopters into his own home. He drives kittens for their vet visits from his home near Hickory to Rutherford Veterinary Hospital. (He volunteers for Cat’s Cradle in Morganton and PetSmart in Hickory as well.) We consider ourselves blessed indeed that he found us on our website and gave us that initial contact: “Do you need anyone to foster kittens?”
Recently Daniel came through a real kitten crisis with flying colors. Morris had begun his life as a feral kitten in Forest City. Long after his three litter mates were adopted out, Morris was still not ready. But as always seems to be the case, Daniel’s method was irresistible and Morris finally succumbed to being a “follow you around, jump in your lap, sleep with you” kind of kitten. When Morris was put on the website, he was chosen by a boy in Union Mills. That Saturday Daniel met them in Marion on his way to Asheville and transferred Morris to his new family.
The boy who had chosen Morris held him all the way home to Union Mills, but he put him down on the ground before taking him inside. Morris was in a strange place and his immediate reaction was to run - which he did - into the woods! Morris was not about to be caught by strange people! When the family contacted the Humane Society, we right away called Daniel in Asheville, and he drove over to Union Mills. When he got home late Saturday night, Daniel was very disheartened. The woods were thick and seemingly endless. He had little hope of ever finding Morris, but we encouraged him that a kitten would “go to ground” and remain hiding rather than travel a great distance.
Daniel wrote, “I'm so upset that little Morris is out there all by himself. I feel I let him down. Like you said, they trust us and it doesn't feel very good when we fail. I was thinking on the way back that to foster kittens/cats you have to have a bit of a masochistic streak in you somewhere - how else can you explain going through the sadness every time one of your charges gets adopted?”
On Sunday afternoon late, which would have been Morris’ feeding time, Daniel went back to Union Mills and once again ventured into the dense woods. His heart must have been in his throat when he caught a glimpse of Morris - poised to run. Daniel knew instinctively what to do. He laid himself down in the thick brush, spoke softly to Morris, and waited.
Morris came.Daniel took him home since the family was not there. He once again emailed: “Morris is none the worse for the wear, but I have poison ivy, two ticks, and a spider bite.”
Four days later Daniel returned Morris to his adoptive home where he has happily settled in just as Daniel predicted he would.