For Becky and Scott Webbink, fostering began with grief.
Elly, their beloved cat, had been Becky’s very first baby – a tiny runt who needed around-the-clock care just to survive. Through sleepless nights, tube feedings, and bottle feedings, Becky saved Elly’s life. And Elly helped Becky in return.
“Elly was my introduction to patience, resilience, and unconditional love,” remembered Becky. “She was the very first animal companion for our dog Stella, and for both of my daughters. Elly taught our girls gentleness before they were even old enough to understand the word. She showed them how to move slowly, love softly, and care deeply for something small and vulnerable.”
When Elly passed away, the silence she left behind was deafening.
The Webbink family wasn’t ready to welcome another cat into their lives, but they also weren’t ready to close their hearts to animals. Instead of adopting, they chose a different route.
They decided to foster.
“Our girls had only ever known the calm companionship of a senior cat, one who spent her days stretched out in warm sunspots, peacefully watching the chaos of family life unfold around her,” explained Becky. “Fostering felt like a way to test our hearts a little. We wondered how the girls would do with energetic kittens who climbed curtains, played too rough, and needed constant attention and care. In many ways, it became a beautiful little experiment, one where everyone won.”
What followed was two years filled with tons of tiny paws and special memories with Becky and Scott’s daughters, Betty and Remi.
One of Becky’s favourite memories came from their very first foster litter: three tiny week-old kittens whose eyes hadn’t even opened yet.
“Betty came upstairs and asked if she could go play with ‘the bunnies,’” recalled Becky. “I laughed and said, ‘You mean the kittens?’ She looked at me completely seriously and replied, ‘No Mom… the bunnies.’ After I explained several times that they were definitely kittens, she simply shrugged and said, ‘Well… I guess we’ll see what they turn into then.’”
Not every memory is funny. Some are unforgettable for entirely different reasons.
Becky still remembers reuniting those same kittens with their mom on Mother’s Day after the mama cat had finally recovered enough to be with them again.
“Watching her sprint across the room toward her babies after days of fear and hiding was unbelievably emotional,” Becky confided. “It was one of those moments that quietly stays with you forever.”
Fostering may have started as a way to heal slowly, but it quickly became a family passion. And for Betty and Remi, fostering became much more than spending time with cute kittens.
The girls fully embraced their roles as “kitten helpers,” making sure their food bowls stayed full and the room was kept clean. Before long, they were asking for their own tiny bottles so they could help feed multiple kittens at once.
“They didn’t just play with the kittens,” praised Becky. “They truly helped raise them.”
But the lessons went far beyond animal care.
“Over time, they developed so much respect for animals,” Becky exclaimed. “They learned that animals are not toys, they are family members with feelings, needs, and personalities of their own. And most importantly fostering taught our girls that love doesn’t have to last forever to matter deeply.”
Becky continued: “The goodbye is hard. And honestly, I think it’s supposed to be. I have cried after almost every foster drop-off. You pour your heart into these tiny lives. You wake up through the night for them, celebrate their first healthy weigh-ins, watch their personalities bloom, and love them as though they were always yours. So, when it’s time to let them go, of course it hurts. But that sadness is also proof that you did your job well.”
Becky always reminded her daughters why they fostered.
“Our job is to love them so well that they leave here knowing exactly what love feels like,” she smiled.
What surprised Becky the most about fostering was how quickly sadness transformed into hope.
“The excitement of knowing we could help another litter, another scared mama, another tiny bottle baby, it gave them such purpose and joy,” Becky shared. “It became this beautiful cycle of heartbreak and healing, over and over again.”
As their fostering journey continued, the family’s commitment to helping animals grew beyond the walls of their home.
“Once you foster, you quickly realize how much support goes into saving even a single tiny life,” Becky remarked. “You see how expensive medical care, formula, food, and supplies can become, and you also see how incredibly far the SPCA stretches every donation they receive.”
Inspired by the animals she was helping, Becky began fundraising for the Nova Scotia SPCA through the Bluenose Marathon.
“If I was already going to run through cold rain,” Becky laughed, “I figured I might as well do it for something bigger than myself, for all the little animals who just needed someone willing to fight for them.”
And that same spirit of generosity extended into their family business – Eagle Beach Contractors. As a steady supporter, they celebrated an incredible milestone of $10,000 in total donations to the Nova Scotia SPCA.
Then, after two years of fostering, something unexpected happened.
A kitten named Fred arrived.
Like every foster before him, Fred was only supposed to be temporary. But from the moment he confidently marched up to the family’s dog, Stella, and acted as though they had known each other forever, something felt different.
“From the very beginning, he fit into our home so naturally it almost felt unfair to call him a foster,” Becky pointed out. “Without even realizing it, Fred stopped feeling like a guest and simply became family.” Becky and Scott made it official and adopted Fred.
Although finding Fred was a gift, Becky believes one moment captures the impact fostering has had on her family better than anything else.
It was when her daughter Betty was asked to share a “fun fact” about herself.
“Without hesitation, she proudly announced that she knew how to bottle-feed baby kittens and had helped raise three litters so they could grow big and strong for their forever homes,” Becky smiled. “Watching such a small child speak so confidently and compassionately about helping vulnerable animals made me realize just how deeply fostering had shaped her heart.”
That’s the beautiful thing about fostering.
Yes, it changes the lives of animals.
But it also changes the lives of the people who open their hearts and homes to pets.
And for the Webbink family, it all started with a beloved cat named Elly, and a decision to turn loss into more love.