Join the 1 Percent
The challenge. During last year's kitten season, Fredville Animal Services (FVAS) took in about 1,000 kittens too young to be adopted. Kitten season usually runs from spring into summer, when most litters are born. A kitten has to weigh at least 2 pounds and be 8 weeks old before it can go home with an adoptive family. Shelters are hard places for young kittens to thrive, even when a mother cat (called a queen) is with them, which makes these little ones one of the toughest challenges our shelter faces each year.
The solution. About 1,000 kittens sounds like a lot, but Fredville has over 51,000 households. If fewer than 1 percent of them took in two kittens per season, every kitten could leave the shelter. Getting kittens out to foster families soon after intake, sometimes on the very day they come in, gives them the best possible start. FVAS supplies basic medical care, equipment and guidance; foster volunteers provide everyday supplies and plenty of affection. Once a kitten reaches 2 pounds, it can be listed for adoption at the shelter or, better yet, go straight to its new family.
How it works. If you have a soft spot for animals and a spare bathroom that is easy to clean, there is a good chance we can match you with a couple of temporary feline guests. Newborn kittens may need care around the clock, but many older kittens only need a quiet place to rest and play for a few weeks before they are ready for adoption. Complete the foster interest survey to learn more and become part of the 1 percent.
The survey is meant for people who would like to foster kittens for FVAS again and again, so the shelter can save as many kittens as possible this season. You can also meet the kittens currently up for adoption at the Fredville Paws Adoption Center.
If You Find a Stray Cat
A healthy stray cat may well find its own way home, so please leave it where it is. Fredville has no ordinance against cats roaming freely, and the shelter asks residents not to bring in healthy strays.
If You Find Kittens
Unless the kittens are in immediate danger, leave them where they are so their mother can come back for them, particularly if they are too young to eat solid food. If they must be moved, set them somewhere close by where the mother can still find them.
If you do need to step in, you can help by fostering the kittens at home until they are 8 to 10 weeks old. For details on fostering, email [email protected].
Thinking of Surrendering a Cat?
If you are considering giving up a cat or kitten, try to keep it through the summer months, when shelters and rescue groups are at their most crowded.
You can also rehome a pet yourself using the free rehoming tools offered by regional humane societies and national pet supply retailers. See Re-Home Your Pet for tips.
Spay and Neuter
Have every pet cat in your household spayed or neutered. Low-cost providers such as the Fix-It Pet Clinic Network and the Cottonwood Coalition for Animal Care (CCAC) offer transportation to and from the Fredville Paws Adoption Center.
Help With Trap-Neuter-Return
Volunteer with the shelter's trap-neuter-return program, which gets feral cats spayed or neutered. To get started, email [email protected] or call (555) 010-5898.
If Your Cat Is Pregnant
Please care for the mother and her litter at home until the kittens reach 8 to 10 weeks. Doing so frees up shelter foster homes for kittens that have nowhere else to go. Keep the mother cat until every kitten has found a home, and then consider having her spayed.
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