Orphans
Bottle babies
Orphaned bottle babies (newborns-4 weeks) are our greatest need when searching for fosters. They require the most care since they must be fed every 2-3 hours during the day with one longer period overnight up to 4-5 hours. They do not take up a lot of space at this age and it is incredibly rewarding watching them grow into mini cats!
Syringe gruelies and gruelies
Orphaned gruelies and syringe gruelies (4-8 weeks) are fed every 4-6 hours during the day with one longer period overnight up to 8 hours. Even if kittens are eating consistently on their own, they still need to be weighed and given fresh food at these intervals. These kittens are such fun to care for since they are learning how to play, eat, and all the ways to be a cat.
Why are there so many orphaned kittens?
Orphan kittens are at high risk for euthanasia due to the constant care they require. Some may need to be fed every 2-3 hours which many people, including shelters, aren't able to do. We try our best to find fosters for all kittens ranging from bottle babies to sick older kittens who need to be fed every 4 to 6 hours.
Each age range comes with its own challenges and rewards. We want all fosters to feel comfortable with the level of care their kittens require, so we have created a short summary for each group.
Quarantine
All kittens coming from a shelter environment must go through a 10-14 day quarantine period apart from all foster animals and resident pets. Even if the kittens look healthy, we need to make sure they are not incubating any illnesses. We strongly recommend quarantining in an easy-to-sanitize area such as a bathroom.
Single kitten syndrome
In our experience, kittens do better in pairs or groups. The Neonatal Program requires all of our kittens to be fostered at least in groups of two. If you offer to foster a single kitten, we will look for a buddy in the same age and weight range once the quarantine period is over. We understand not everyone can take large litters, so if you are unable to take a pair, we can send you kittens who are not able to have buddies due to medical reason or kittens who need to complete quarantine. Once quarantine is done, we will do our best to match them to a kitten their age and free you up to continue to take more single kittens!