Christina Ha shares the story of “the cutest foster grandparents ever,” who help her care for kittens in her home.
New Jersey native Christina Ha co-founded New York City’s first cat café, Meow Parlour, in 2014 and founded Cat Camp in 2017. (Now Jackson Galaxy’s Cat Camp.)
Since then, the cafe and sister nonprofit, Meow Parlour Cats, have found homes for over 600 cats for families.
“I’ve always felt that when you get involved with animal welfare, it comes from a place of deep empathy,” Ha told TODAY. “And people who feel that way the most strongly, I think, are people who at some point in their life felt wronged or that they were underrepresented in some way. They feel drawn to the ability to create a different reality for animals because they couldn’t do it for themselves.”
Image via Instagram/ iamthemightypeanut
🧦 Mr. Socks and Tia the Peanut 🥜
In 2013, Ha’s sister and husband brought home a gray and white cat named Mr. Socks, eventually inspiring her passion for cat rescue. Then came the “tiny but mighty” Tia the Peanut, a black and white kitten who would inspire the creation of Cat Camp.
Ever since then, Ha has been fostering kittens.
“I’ve fostered more than 300 cats, and I will foster thousands more, but Tia is the first one I adopted,” she said on Instagram.
In the last couple of years, Ha has shown the cutest stories of the cutest foster grandparents.
Christina Ha’s mom with kittens
“The smile of a man who went full-blown Pokemon and collected kittens in all the different colors. ❤️ “
Images and media via Instagram/ whiskstowhiskers
Christine Ha’s Parents Help Foster the Kittens
During the pandemic, Ha’s parents and sister helped her care for the foster babies and make products for cats like beds. On Instagram, she shares scenes of her family with kittens, and they are indeed adorable. For example, Ha’s dad once taught a foster kitten how to dance.
“Remember when I said my parents had hoped to take dance lessons this winter? They didn’t get the chance because at their age and with omicron, they didn’t want to risk it. I caught my dad dancing with Milk Tooth instead,” Ha wrote.
And, here’s her mom caring for one, two, three kittens at once.
“Meet Gummy Bear, Happy, and Cha Cha Cha! After nearly a month without names, my mom named these three.”
Foster Grandmom
Like many grandparents, they get the luxury of enjoying the babies without the harder parenting challenges so much.
“My parents love fostering because they love being part of my mission,” Ha explained. “My sister is the primary caretaker of the fosters, so they get the added benefit of just cuddling the cats and not being responsible for medicating or cleaning after them.”
The Grandcats
As you can see, Ha’s family enjoys their cuddling time with the kittens.
“Between my sisters and me, we have eight cats. My parents have plenty of grandcats to keep them happy,” says Ha.
However, her parents’ dream is to return to South Korea, which is a dream sidelined by the pandemic. In the meantime, they care for the “grandcats,” loving each one but knowing their role must be temporary.
“Milk Tooth chomping on my dad’s finger.”
“Milk Tooth got stuck on my mom’s sweater and my dad had to help get him off.”
The Cutest Foster Grandparents
Are these the cutest foster grandparents around? See Exhibit A below:
“Just wanted to submit this video as evidence that my parents are the cutest foster grandparents around.”
They Helped Over 70 Kittens!
As you see, they really are loving foster grandparents. Sometimes, people have reacted by suggesting they permanently keep the kitties. However, as everyone who fosters cats knows, it takes strength to say goodbye.
“Everyone who has ever fostered knows that it takes an incredibly strong person to say goodbye to their foster, and I would appreciate it if instead of suggesting that my parents keep their fosters, use that energy to applaud them for the fact that they’ve helped over 70 kittens find homes.”
In the comments, many people offered praise.
“💕❤️You have wonderful parents👏👏 Thank you for sharing such positivity👏” said one person.
“Beautiful Couple, The energy between them is Magical ✨✨✨✨✨✨💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜🥰🙌🏾🙌🏾 🐈 🐈⬛” said another person.
“Your parents are angels 🥺 How can humans be so cute?!” remarked someone else.
As another person said, the world needs more people like Christina Ha and the cutest foster grandparents. We definitely agree!
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Featured images: Instagram/whiskerstowhiskers
