 PACC, Humane Society seek help during ‘kitten season’
PIMA COUNTY, April 25, 2023 – Pima Animal Care Center and the Humane Society of Southern Arizona are asking for the community to help save young kittens during what shelter staff call “kitten season.”
The season begins in the spring as the weather begins to warm up, initiating cat breeding. During this time, thousands of kittens will be born across Pima County, and many of them will end up in shelters after being removed from their mothers.
“Our greatest need right now is fosters for neonatal kittens,” said Monica Dangler, PACC’s Director of Animal Services. “Kittens will not survive if they are left in a kennel overnight; we must have fosters on-deck to take litters as they come in.”
On April 23 alone, 33 neonatal kittens came into PACC needing round-the-clock bottle feeding.
“Fostering isn’t as hard as you may think, and those adorable kittens give you so much in return. All it takes is love, commitment, and a willingness to learn a few skills,” said Steve Farley, the Humane Society of Southern Arizona’s CEO. “Both shelters’ foster staff are happy to train new fosters and can provide all the resources needed to help with any potential issues.”
There are a number of ways to help:
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DON’T ‘CATNAP’ KITTENS: Well-meaning folks often accidentally remove kittens from nursing mothers, placing them at risk. Don’t panic when you see kittens alone; their mother is likely nearby. This graphic explains when a kitten should be brought to the shelter.
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FOSTER: Shelters have an immediate need for fosters who can be on-call as litters of neonatal kittens come into the shelter. Interested folks can sign up here to foster for PACC.
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DONATE: The neonatal kittens have a variety of needs that are very different from in-shelter pets. Kittens need warmers, milk replacement, non-clumping litter and more. PACC’s official nonprofit partner, Friends of Pima Animal Care Center, helps maintain an Amazon Wishlist, which the public can use to purchase supplies and have them shipped to PACC. The Humane Society of Southern Arizona features several ways to donate on their website.
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SPAY/NEUTER: One of the best things cat lovers can do for cats this kitten season is get them fixed to prevent future litters from being born outside. Cats can become pregnant at just four months old, making it imperative that cats are spayed or neutered early. If there are neighborhood pets that need to be spayed or neutered, PACC and the Humane Society of Southern Arizona can assist with catching and altering cats through their Community Cats TNR (Trap/Neuter/Return) programs.
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ADOPT: As kittens reach adoption age (8 weeks old), they will need homes! For families looking to add a feline friend to their home, it is a great time of year to adopt. There are currently more than 560 pets at PACC in need of homes, along with nearly 1,200 in foster care in need of adoptive homes.
Pima Animal Care Center is located at 4000 North Silverbell Rd. PACC is open on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday from noon to 7 p.m., on Wednesday, 1:30 – 7 p.m., and on weekends from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. To see all available pets and services, go to pima.gov/animalcare.
The Humane Society of Southern Arizona is located at 635 West Roger Road. The shelter is open Monday to Saturday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. To see all available HSSA pets and services, go to hssaz.org.
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