Fostering Joy: Valerie Bertinelli's passion for cats

Fostering cats brings joy. Just ask actress Valerie Bertinelli.

Known for her roles in "One Day at a Time" and "Hot in Cleveland," Valerie sat down with me to chat about her own personal experiences with cats and how loss led to happiness when she discovered fostering.

In the new episode of my podcast, The Cat Conversation, Valerie opens up about the loss of her beloved pet, Dexter:

"I lost my dear, sweet Dexter, gosh, it's going to be 11 years ago now. And he was the love of my life. He was my best friend always. And after he passed, I thought, I can't do this anymore. I can't feel this. A few weeks later, I was working with our prop master on Hot in Cleveland. She fosters and does these adopt-a-thons every other week at this park. And she said, I know you're really upset and you're so sad, but just come because these cats need people."

Despite initially feeling overwhelmed by grief, Valerie found solace and purpose in fostering cats and eventually ended up with six feline companions. And now she's hoping to inspire others to foster as well:

"All of these shelters across America really could use help in the fostering department. And it's so helpful. Yes, it's hard to let the kittens go, but you know what, you're giving them a home, you're giving them a life."

Valerie's story highlights the profound impact that fostering animals can have on both the animals themselves and the individuals who open their homes and hearts to them.

For more with Valerie, listen to The Cat Conversation on Apple, Spotify or where you get your podcasts.

You can also watch the episode here:

KJ is Your Kitty Correspondent as seen on Pet Pals TV. Her first word as a baby was "Kitty" and she has had a passion for cats ever since. Watch more of KJ's stories on the Pet Pals TV YouTube channel and check out her book "Raised by Cats: Behind the Mic and the Meows" on Amazon, Barnes & Noble or Books-A-Million.