Animal lovers can help newborn felines as they arrive in kitten season by donating to the San Diego Humane Society's annual "Kitten Shower" event, which began Tuesday.
The animal welfare organization is seeking donations of essential items, including kitten formula, bottles, heating pads, scales and blankets from the SDHS' online baby registries — located at www.sdhumane.org/programs/kitten-nursery/kitten-shower.html.
Although cats can breed any time of year, springtime sees a major increase in kittens being born. In the coming months, thousands of kittens under eight weeks of age will require around-the-clock care to grow into healthy cats, according to the SDHS.
"Neonate kittens have many essential needs that our staff and volunteers meet in the absence of a mother," said Jackie Noble, director of nursery and placement for SDHS. "They need to be fed every two to three hours, they need temperature regulation, they need help eliminating and they need to be groomed — all things their mom would do if she was raising them."
Purchased items are delivered directly to San Diego Humane Society, and every donation helps provide the lifesaving care these tiny kittens need to survive.
In 2009, the SDHS opened the country's first around-the-clock kitten nursery. Now the Jim Lester Kitten Nursery & Foster Center, it develops and shares best practices for kitten care with shelters across the country. The center also works with hundreds of trained foster volunteers to provide care in their own homes and offers a day-care space for fosters who need help caring for kittens during the day.
