“Kitten Season” is a busy time for animal welfare providers that starts when the first newborn kittens come to the AWLA and ends when the final kitten heads home with his or her new family.  In 2018, the “Season” started early, with our first neonatal kitten Casper arriving in late January!  Throughout Kitten Season, our foster caregivers provide these tiny felines the constant care they need, sometimes taking on the role of mother when kittens arrive as orphans, and bottle-feeding them, teaching them litter box manners and socializing them so they are ready to find families of their own.  Over one hundred kittens were adopted from the AWLA this “Kitten Season” and here are a just a few of their stories.

Holland came to the AWLA in poor condition, having been on his own for most of his very young life, but with the support of his foster tag-team, Patty and Jodi, he got the care he needed.  We also learned that he had a big personality, so much so that we thought that he might want to tell his own story, as interpreted by Jodi:

Hi!

My name is Holland.

My story began on the streets as a young kitten stray in pretty rough shape. I was all alone outside, my were eyes infected and my tummy was empty. I wasn’t sure I would make it another day. Then came a very nice person who found me and knew just what to do. I was brought to the AWLA knowing I would get all the help and care needed.

Upon arrival the AWLA medical team and staff sprang into action to take care of me and I got the very best care since my very first day.  I was lucky to have a team of fosters helping me through my medical issues and then also to learn how much fun it is to play!!

My first foster helped me learn to eat on my own and administered the medicines I needed to heal my infections. Then, as soon as I starting eating well and my eye infection began to heal – ugghh – I was diagnosed with ringworm ☹.  Ringworm isn’t anything related to worms, but a skin fungal infection.  So off I went to another foster with experience with ringworm and yet more medicine!!  I took all medicine like a champ, knowing it was helping me, and within about four weeks I was medicine free, in good health, growing and playing with my canine foster friend and very very happy.

My time at AWLA came to a close when after less than one day at the shelter I was adopted!!!

Many many thanks to everyone who helped me on my road to health, happiness and playtime! Thank you thank you thank you!  

Love, Holland

Holland started off all on his own but was quickly surrounded by friends, but pregnant mother Mikayla made it to the shelter just in time to have her kittens in the safety of her foster home.  Her veteran AWLA foster caregiver, Laura, had already cared for nearly 50 cats and kittens, but even she learned a thing or two from Mikayla’s poise and purrs through the process:

Mikayla was pregnant when we brought her home.  It was the first time we had fostered a pregnant cat, and I admit I was nervous about it!  We were told she should have her babies within the week, but we didn’t know exactly when or how many.  Mikayla was a total sweetie and took coming to a new place with complete strangers all in stride. We put her in our guest bedroom and kept her separated from our cats.  A day and a half after bringing her home, she went into labor. I sat with her and watched as she gave birth to a kitten – it was amazing!!! She knew exactly what to do – licking and cleaning and immediately caring for the baby.  Thirty minutes later, she had her second baby – again, amazing!!

The kittens are now six weeks old, not quite old enough to find homes of their own yet.  Watching them grow and develop from tiny, helpless critters into plump, frolicking kittens has been a joy.  Mikayla has done a terrific job caring for and raising her babies, and continues to do so. It hasn’t been easy and there have been some pretty stressful times – like nursing Mikayla through a terrible cold and taking little Ally to the emergency vet when she sprained her legs – but it has been an incredible experience that I’ll always remember.

While Mikayla gets some well-deserved pampering from her amazing foster, “Kitten Season” is finally beginning to slow, though even in December, we are still seeing more of Alexandria’s tiniest felines come through our doors. When the last kitten is adopted to his or her new family, we know we won’t have too long before the next season begins, and when it does our dedicated volunteers and staff will be ready to give these little ones just what they need to grow.

And you can help these kittens all year-round!  Learn more about fostering or view our kitten season wishlist to see what these little guys – and their Awesome Fosters – need.

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