Brace yourselves, kittens are coming! In case you didn’t know, kitten season is upon us and shelters across the nation are already receiving their first batches of kittens. If your shelter or rescue hasn’t started prepping for kitten season then now is the time! After the winter solstice (Dec 21) queens will start going into heat and becoming pregnant, kittens may trickle in, but now is the time to begin preparing. Consider the pitfalls or bottlenecks from last year and how will your shelter tackle it differently? Now is also the time to begin stocking up on supplies and making sure leftovers from last year are still good. Some important items include warm kitten bins, tubs or cages, powdered milk formula, bottles with working nipples, gram scales and microwavable heating discs. Create a shelter wish-list and ask for donations from the community. Being very specific in which items, brands and quantities you require will make it easier for people to donate.
This is also the time of year to celebrate the wonderful people who make kitten rearing possible: foster parents! Begin recruiting new foster homes and refresh the memory of your long-time foster parents by throwing a Kitten Shower or orientation seminar. Ensure everyone feels comfortable with their roles—not every foster parent will be equipped to take on a dozen three day old kittens to bottle feed all night. That being said, make sure you know how many foster parents can handle kittens which are sick or require special care. It is important to provide education and resources for your foster parents. If you haven’t already, check out the San Francisco SPCA’s Kitten Foster manual! This gem is a great resource and answers pretty much any question a foster parent may have.
Make sure that your shelter has a system set up for provision of veterinary care, emergencies, and follow up appointments. Managing a large number of foster kittens and their people is a challenging and requires a lot of manpower. Every shelter should have dedicated individuals with specific roles to make this kitten season a success. The Animal Rescue League of Boston has a wonderful Foster on Deck program which helps with the flow of foster homes.
It is a lot of work, but preparing now will pay off in the end. Let us know what resources have worked well for your rescue or shelter group in the comments section below. Best of luck for 2014’s kitten season everyone!
