Fosters are the Kitten's Meow!

Apr 15, 2013

Did you know...?

When newborn kittens are brought into a city shelter, there is a mere 2-hour window for the fragile, homeless animals to be saved by Austin Pets Alive!. Without APA!'s Bottle Baby Nursing Program hard at work, the majority of newborn kittens would be euthanized; and in turn, Austin would no longer be a No-Kill city. Vets and shelters tend to give only a 10% survival rate assessment to newborn kittens without their mother...in other words, without organizations taking them out of city shelters and placing them in foster care or our neonatal ward, euthanasia is eminent. At Austin Pets Alive!, our Bottle Baby Program has a 80% survival rate!

We bring newborn kittens, gruel babies (or kittens on wet food), and pregnant moms into our neonatal ward, and place them as soon as possible into the loving hands of foster families. This week our kitten/neonatal ward opened its doors and we are hearing the little meows! While the sound is sweet, our program has very limited resources, and we are stretched thin during the spring awakening of Kitten Season. Last year alone, APA! saved over 2,000 kittens. But we cannot do that again without the help of new and returning foster homes, as well as donations to help us feed and care for them.

Fostering kittens is as rewarding as it is demanding of love and time. Depending on their age and whether they are bottle-fed or on wet food, the required time over a 2-month period is attention every 2 - 4 hours. The rewards are grand, and our foster parent(s) are a vital part of keeping Austin No-Kill!

We need more foster families

All medical needs for Bottle Babies are handled by Austin Pets Alive!, while foster families will need to provide a few necessary elements. The average out-of-pocket expense for fosters is small, and we'll work with you in training and helping you decide whether it makes sense to take part of, or an entire litter. No matter what you can do, a little bit of time is a small price to pay for saving a life!

If you are interested in becoming a foster parent to kittens, litters, or pregnant moms, please click HERE for more information, and select the FOSTER APPLICATION link on the right-hand side of the page.

If you are unable to offer a temporary home for these little ones, please consider donating to Austin Pets Alive!, or attending one of the numerous fund-raising events we have coming up. One of our spring highlights is the Bottle Baby Kitten "Sip and See": This exclusive event will be held at a private estate on Sunday, April 21 from 2pm - 6 pm, as we spend a relaxing and enjoyable afternoon munching on tasty appetizers, mingling with others, enjoying a tasting of tequila and vodka, and of course learning more about this "awwwww!" worthy program. Beer, wine and non-alcoholic beverages will also be available, and 100% of the proceeds will benefit the Bottle Baby Kitten Program. For tickets and information on this and all other APA! events, click HERE.

Please consider helping Austin's newborns and moms-to-be flourish in the way that Austin is known for: Please help us keep Austin a No-Kill city for our animals!