Kitten Nursery & Foster System
A success story right here in Linda Vista
Has all the bad news about the COVID-19 pandemic got you down? Tired of reading so many depressing headlines? Upset the LA Dodgers are once again in first place ahead of the Padres?
If you happen to be in need of an inspirational feel good story, look no further than San Diego Humane Society’s kitten nursery and its system of volunteer kitten fosters. San Diego Humane Society, located in Linda Vista at 5500 Gaines Street, deserves great accolades for these two great kitten-centered successes.
My wife and I have been lucky enough to witness first-hand the tremendous success produced by the volunteer foster system.
Everyone knows that kittens are one of the cutest animals, but they are also one of the most vulnerable. As pointed out in a SD Humane Society kitten nursery program article published in Oprah.com, very young kittens, even healthy ones, require almost round-the-clock attention. They have to be fed roughly every three hours and need help regulating their body temperature.
No doubt about it, the job of taking care of abandoned kittens is very demanding. Fortunately, SD Humane Society’s kitten nursery, operated by a combination of dedicated employees and volunteers is capable of taking on this unique challenge.
According to SD Humane Society spokesperson Nina Thompson, the 24-hour kitten nursery was the first of its kind in the country and has provided a model for other shelters since it opened in 2009. Before the nursery was established, many kittens throughout San Diego county would be euthanized because of a lack of resources required to care for them.
The nursery operates during kitten season, which typically runs from March to November. During the fiscal year 2018-2019 the nursery admitted 3,651 kittens younger than 8 weeks.
If you want to sneak a peek at some of the kittens in the nursery, you can look at the kitten cam.
The kitten nursery is funded by donations. Anyone who is interested in supporting the Kitten Nursery program can learn more here.
Recent graduates of SD Humane Society’s kitten nursery and foster system
The on-site kitten nursery is supported by a system of volunteer fosters who relieve the strain on the nursery and take care of kittens at home in preparation for eventual adoption. Fostering can include taking care of neo-natal kittens requiring bottle-feeding, weaned kittens that are four to eight weeks old, or mother cats and their kittens. SD Humane Society has over 2000 volunteer fosters in their system, servicing the San Diego, Escondido and Oceanside branches.
Needless to say, bottle feeding kittens requires the most work in terms of fostering. According to SD Humane Society’s web site, “Bottle-fed babies—those who are 4 weeks old and younger—require seven feedings a day. That’s every three hours, and it means getting up several times in the middle of the night.”
My wife and I have been fostering kittens for SD Humane Society for five kitten seasons, with our efforts focused on kittens in the four to eight-week old category. Each litter we have fostered has been comprised of fun, active kittens that I’m sure made wonderful additions to their forever homes. Fostering these kittens means taking care of their physical needs and ensuring their proper socialization until they reach 850 grams in weight (about 2 pounds). Once they reach the required weight, they return to SD Humane Society to receive their surgery (spaying/neutering), after which they are immediately made available for adoption. All supplies required for fostering are provided by the Kitten Nursery and Foster Center, and there is an awesome foster team that provides assistance.
Oliver will soon be available for adoption.
Though we usually take care of two or three kittens at a time, we are currently taking care of a singleton named Oliver who came to us as a medical kitten recovering from a respiratory infection. Our special job was to make sure he was given his medication. Fortunately, it turns out Oliver was able to quickly recover, and he has subsequently become the most active kitten we have ever fostered.
As expected, the toughest part of being kitten fosters involves the day we must return the kittens. But the joy of eventually learning they have been adopted always overcomes that initial sadness. Of course, we like to believe the kittens we foster develop a certain charm and intelligence that makes them irresistible.
Although SD Humane Society does not currently need more foster volunteers (people staying home because of COVID-19 has ensured plenty of foster volunteers), the organization still needs different kinds of help. If interested, click here to learn more. You can donate specific gifts for the nursery (the kitten nursery registry) by going to this site.
Oliver in a more relaxed pose
If you or someone you know is interested in adopting a kitten, online adoption consultations can be scheduled by clicking here. The potential adopter will be paired with an adoptions counselor who will walk them through the process (Due to COVID-19, SD Humane Society is open only through appointment). According to Thompson, adoptions are up right now because people can spend more time at home.
And if you are interested in adopting Oliver, you’ll be glad to know he will receive his neutering surgery tomorrow (Monday, August 31) and will be available for adoption later in the afternoon. If you want to adopt him, just call SD Humane Society and let them know you are interested—refer to Oliver and his foster ID number of 682925.
Adopting him or any other animal would make for a fitting end to August, which happens to be Clear the Shelters Month.
SD Humane Society’s kitten nursery and it’s system of foster volunteers—a great success story. Right here in Linda Vista!
The members of this lively litter from last kitten season didn’t take long to be adopted
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