January 2026
Meet Jonquill
A Seattle native who juggles working from home, being a parent, and rearing kittens for adoption, Jonquill is no stranger to the colorful world of cat care. She’s fostered some of SAFe’s most vulnerable kittens, watching them grow from feeble and frail to healthy and hearty.
“At times I feel like I have experienced it all,” Jonquill says of her fostering experience. “Then I get a new litter or kitty with a new challenge and I feel like it’s my first time.”
How to Save Your Felines
One of Jonquill’s most memorable litters was a trio of polydactyl (extra-toed) kittens. Abandoned at four weeks old, they were malnourished, underweight, and so, so small. Jonquill syringe-fed them and monitored them closely, but only two of the three survived those first days.
“When babies don’t make it, that’s the hardest and most painful part,” Jonquill says. “I just have to remember we are doing all we can.”
Jonquill was determined to help the remaining brothers pull through. She named them Toothless and Stormfly after dragons from the How to Train Your Dragon franchise. Like their namesakes, they were fighters, even if they needed more time than most.
“Toothless and Stormfly were a lot of work, reaching all milestones a tad bit later,” Jonquill remembers. “We found out Toothless had a heart murmur. I ended up having them for about four months before he was cleared to be adopted. It was hard letting them go.”
Fortunately, in Jonquill’s case, their goodbye was more of a “see you later,” as the pair ended up being adopted by a family friend.
“Now they are living their best life, heart murmur and all!” Jonquill tells us.
Allergies, Schmallergies!
Many of our foster families have pets of their own. But Jonquill got into fostering for the opposite reason.
“We actually don’t have any pets,” Jonquill explains, “Because when my kid was younger she was easily allergic to everything.”
Toothless braved the odds, and a heart murmur, to find his home.
Stormfly shows off his dragon fangs!
Allergies don’t stop Jonquill’s teenager from being her foster copilot!
Her family couldn’t keep an animal long-term, but they could still find ways to meet furry friends!
“We originally began visiting the local rescues,” says Jonquill. “We pretended we were interested in adopting just so we could visit with the kitties. It was our Sunday activity.”
“When Covid hit and our “adoption” visits weren’t possible, we decided to foster,” Jonquill says. “I noticed my kid had less of a reaction to kittens, and keeping them in the bathroom allowed us to keep all environments safe.”
Jonquill’s fostering adventure began at PAWS. In 2023, she relocated to SAFe Rescue, which is closer to her home.
Three years and numerous litters later, she has found the best possible solution to the dilemma that inspired her weekly rescue visits. Her teenager, Myla, even helps out with feeding schedules and cleaning. As for those allergies…
“My kid has much less of a reaction now, which is great!” Jonquill reports.
Thank you, Jonquill, for always spending the extra time and effort to get our most sensitive kittens where they need to be. When it comes to fostering, your attention to detail is unsurpassed!
