By JOSEPHINE JOHNSON
PHOTO CREDIT Josephine Johnson
Old Town resident Stephanie Stullich’s journey toward helping 120 stray cats in four years find forever homes started with four nervous kittens trapped in the attic crawlspace of an acquaintance’s house.
Stullich’s husband, Bob Schnabel, received a call from a disabled man about pitter-patter in his attic that he could not reach. Stullich wound up climbing into the attic to rescue them.
She raised them for a few months before adopting three out to other households and keeping one–Maguire–as a pet.
Since she took in that first litter of newborns, the former College Park city councilmember has had up to 19 cats—mostly kittens—in her home at a time, serving as a foster caretaker until she can find homes for them, usually with the help of the city’s animal welfare officer and the nonprofit Beltsville Community Cats.
As Stullich talks, a cat named Gemma runs around underneath her chair. Stullich, used to this kind of ruckus, seems not to notice.
She found the tortoise shell-colored kitten in a hotel parking lot with the help of the city’s animal control officer, Rebecca Bailey, who oversees the city’s foster program. Stullich eventually will have Gemma spayed and vaccinated, and display her either on Petfinder or in a cage at the Laurel Petco, where potential owners can apply to adopt her.
College Park offers that kind of assistance to foster caretakers within the city. Beltsville Community Cats offers a similar service in the neighboring city.
Stullich is one of about half a dozen volunteers who take in homeless kittens until they can be adopted.
PHOTO CREDIT Josephine Johnson
Patricia Coil, of Hollywood, began fostering kittens in spring 2022 through Beltsville Community Cats, which offers medical support and advice from experienced rescuers.
Coil’s 5-year-old daughter, Emily Wilkening, names the kittens, 54 of them so far, with monikers like Caterpillar, Crane and Tractor, after her construction toys, and Mirabel, after a Disney princess.
Coil shared that taking care of the kittens teaches her daughter about charity and generosity, that she is raising a kitten to be someone else’s pet. To adjust to saying goodbye to the kittens as they are adopted, Emily keeps a scrapbook of every cat they have fostered. The scrapbook has entries for all of the kittens they have fostered over the past two-and-a-half years.
“You bring them in, and you never know what you’re going to get,” Coil said. “They each develop their own personality. It’s just cute to watch them … become cats over the course of, like, two or three months.”
Marina Augoustidis of College Park Woods said she did not plan to foster cats. But when her neighbor’s outdoor cat, Ginger, came to her back door for help, carrying a tiny kitten, she took them in even though she is allergic. Ginger, apparently sensing safety, went back outside and then brought four more kittens to Augoustidis, carrying one in her mouth at a time.
Augoustidis, who works at the University of Maryland, shared that the city was helpful, and Bailey even took Ginger to the veterinarian for an emergency visit while Augoustidis was at work.
“Seeing how maybe a cat that might have not been so comfortable, is feeling comfortable and feeling safe, that’s rewarding to me,” Augoustidis said.
Stullich shared that she plans to continue fostering for at least the next 20 years.
“I just think fostering is so fun,” Stullich said. “I just love being able to help these guys that really need help. And it’s such a good feeling when you find a wonderful person or family to take in your beloved foster. You’ve succeeded in what you’re trying to do, which is to get this kitten or cat to a safe, secure, loving home.”
After her first goodbye, Stullich knew that she wanted to keep fostering.
“I don’t mind the goodbye part, because I know they are going to a loving home,” Stullich said. “Somebody is going to take care of them for the next 15 years, and I get to do it all over again.”
