Kitten season came late this year, and the Longmont Humane Society is up to its whiskers in new arrivals.
The Humane Society this week is holding an online kitten shower fundraiser to gather supplies for foster parents who are in need of extra caregiving items for their furry charges.
Longmont animal-lovers may remember the kitten shower in the form of a bake sale. This year, the Humane Society replaced its one-day bake sale with a weeklong online fundraiser because of the coronavirus outbreak. Instead of buying goodies, anyone interested in donating to the foster care program can make a donation online or visit the society’s Amazon wishlist, which includes items such as kitten milk replacer (think formula for baby cats), bottles and food ranging from about $3 to $50. There also will be an in-person dropoff at the shelter near the adoption lobby entrance from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Saturday for those who have supplies they’d like to donate.
This year is different not only because of the shift to the online fundraiser but because kitten season came later than normal.
“Whether it was due to COVID or other factors, we didn’t see a kitten season when we normally do,” said Longmont Humane Society Director of Marketing and Communications Carrie Brackenridge. “Part of that is when COVID happened, we stopped transferring animals in from out of area. When we were able to do so safely, we did start transferring animals in. At that point we were transferring a lot of kittens and nursing moms and they went directly to our foster homes while they get big and healthy enough to be available for adoption.”
All of the donations from this week’s fundraiser will go to the foster care program, which supports kittens, puppies and adult dogs and cats. In 2019, approximately 1,200 animals passed through the program, and that number is expected to increase significantly in 2020 due to the COVID-19 shutdown, Brackenridge said. Between March 18 and May 9, 189 animals were in foster care, and of those, 75 were adopted directly out of foster care. The program is currently supporting 77 cats and kittens in foster care.
The Humane Society has seen an increase in animals that need foster care in addition to a need for more foster families since the shelter was closed and adoptions were put on hiatus in March, increasing the need for supplies, foster program supervisor Shelby Bundy said.
Fostering bottle babies is rewarding work, Bundy said, but takes some extra caregiving skills.
"Kitten season" came later than usual this year at the Longmont Humane Society, which this week is holding an online kitten shower to collect donations for its foster care program.(Courtesy Longmont Humane Society)
“I primarily stick to bottle babies because they’re the most at risk, because not many people know how to care for them,” Bundy said. “The moment that babies will latch onto a bottle, especially if they haven’t eaten in a while, is super rewarding. You get to watch them grow up and into their personalities.”
Kittens stay with their foster families for six to eight weeks until they’re old enough to go to the adoption floor. Some foster families have a hard time letting go of their foster animals so they choose to adopt them, but Bundy said it also is rewarding to see a small, fluffy baby go on to its forever home.
“They definitely have a special place in my heart,” Bundy said.
The Humane Society is not onboarding new foster families, but encourages people to look into adoption. Adoptable animals are available to view on its website, and all adoptions are being done by appointment. To make an appointment or learn more, call the Humane Society at 303-772-1232 or email [email protected].
The online fundraiser will end Saturday, with the in-person supply dropoff. Those who make donations on Saturday are asked to wear masks and practice social distancing.
