In October 2017, the Vanderburgh Humane Society received a grant for more than $2,100 from the national organization Maddie’s Fund to assemble 30 “Kitten Kits.†These kits contain the necessary supplies to provide care for orphaned neonate kittens, and they are designed to empower the community to help care for this very vulnerable population.
The VHS takes in approximately 600-800 kittens each year. Many of these are orphaned and unweaned. Depending on their age, they must be bottle-fed kitten formula every 2-6 hours around the clock. They are also at a much higher risk of disease and simple failure to thrive, resulting in a higher mortality rate than any other population of animals that the VHS cares for. In 2017, 78% of the animals who died naturally in VHS custody were kittens. In 2016, 100% of them were kittens.
Normally when a member of the public finds a litter of kittens, they bring them to the VHS for surrender. The kittens are weighed, processed, and then sent to a VHS foster home for several weeks. The vast majority of the time this works very well. But the shelter continues to struggle each year with having, A) enough foster homes for every litter, and B) foster homes that are experienced enough and willing to bottle-feed kittens every few hours.
Now, #ThankstoMaddie, the VHS is tackling this problem head-on to help tiny kittens thrive. Sometimes people who find litters of kittens are able & willing to hold onto them until they are old enough for adoption, but simply do not know how to bottle-feed and/or don’t have the resources. Those people will now be sent home with Kitten Kits, which contain everything they need to help their kittens thrive! Kitten Kits are also available to current VHS foster families.
Each Kit contains:
·         A scale that measures weight in grams to ensure that kittens are constantly gaining weight (one of the first red flags in a young kitten is weight loss)
·         A thermometer than can take kittens’ temperatures rectally
·         A SnuggleSafe microwaveable disc that can be placed under kittens’ blankets to keep their body temperature up (very young kittens cannot thermoregulate)
·         A can of KMR kitten formula, bottle, bottle brush, and extra nipples
·         A full-color kitten care guide from Kitten Lady, a renowned educational resource for neonate kittens in crisis. (www.kittenlady.org)
As with all other foster homes, the VHS is available by phone for any & all questions families may have while the kittens stay with them. The shelter will also provide any other needed supplies, such as a crate for the kittens to stay in, toys, blankets, medications, and solid food when the time comes. Fostering is 100% free. The time commitment is no more than
8-10 weeks, at which point kittens will return to the shelter for adoption! This differs from all other local organizations, where foster homes must provide food at their own expense and fostering is for an indefinite amount of time. With the VHS, all food is provided and kittens return for adoption as soon as possible!
The VHS is extremely grateful to Maddie’s Fund for providing the support for this project. Thanks to Maddie, 30 Kitten Kits are now assembled, numbered, and ready to go home as of April 2018. What is referred to as “kitten season†in animal welfare is typically during the spring & summer. Soon there will be a multitude of teeny tiny lives to be saved.
A Kitten Season Kickoff Party and Q&A session will be held on Tuesday, May 8th, 2018 at Central Library downtown inBrowning Room B at 6:30 pm. This meeting is free to the public and light refreshments will be provided! It is a great opportunity for potential fosters to mingle with current fosters. Anyone interested in fostering can get their questions answered, and learn about how to become part of the VHS’ lifesaving kitten foster team! RSVP to the meeting atevents@vhslifesaver.org.
For photo or interview opportunities, contact Amanda at the information above.
