At the Cumberland Valley Animal Shelter, it’s the time of year where we’re anticipating kittens. Lots and lots of kittens.
We are on the cusp of what shelters around the nation call “kitten season.” That’s where the adult cats start to enjoy the warm weather and have a whole lot of parties and bring us the consequences of those parties in the form of kittens.
Because we know the little ones are on the way, we’re asking for help. We’re holding our annual Kitten Shower from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, March 29, and noon to 1 p.m. Sunday, March 30, at the shelter on Letterkenny Road West.
This is basically a baby shower, except it’s for kittens.
We have a list of items we need as well as potential kittens who will be up for adoption soon.
If you can’t stop by during those days, we also have an Amazon Gift Registry for our Kitten Shower that people can use to order us the supplies we’ll need for these little babies.
Supplies we need include: kitten formula, “miracle nipples,” Feline Pine cat litter, small litter pans and dry kitten food.
We’re also looking for something called Snuggle Safe Pet Bed microwavable heating pad. If the kittens come to us and they’re particularly tiny, the heated pad will maintain their temperature, especially if they are alone and don’t have a mama or siblings with whom to snuggle.
Some of our staff used to walk around with kittens tucked into their clothing to maintain the heat, but we still need heating pads for when the kittens might need to travel or for sleeping overnight.
We’ve also got unscented baby wipes and tearless kitten shampoo on the list. You’d be surprised how messy the little ones can be, and sometimes if they don’t have a mama, we have to encourage them to go to the bathroom like she would and that’s where wipes can come in handy.
Additionally, we could always use monetary donations for medical care and spay and neuter surgeries.
I would be remiss in not talking about foster parents. Our foster parents help so many of our four-legged babies throughout the year, and those who take our kittens are a real godsend.
Sometimes kittens come into use with a mama and sometimes without. Our foster parents will take the kittens into their homes until they are ready to be spayed and neutered. We will provide all the supplies a foster parent will need to care for their four-legged wards.
Of course, if a foster parent falls in love with one of the babies, they can absolutely adopt.
We love our foster kittens because they come back into the shelter socialized with people and ready for a new home.
If you are interested in becoming a foster parent for us, please check out the information at cvas-pets.org.
The springtime brings wonderful growth and blooms and a reminder to all of us that life and nature will continue to flourish.
For animal shelters, it also brings kittens. If you could help us by donating to our Kitten Shower on March 29 and 30, our staff and four-legged babies sure would appreciate it.
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Jennifer Vanderau is the public relations coordinator for the Cumberland Valley Animal Shelter and can be reached at [email protected]. The shelter accepts both monetary and pet supply donations. For more information, readers may call the shelter at 263-5791 or visit the website www.cvas-pets.org. CVAS also operates a thrift store in Chambersburg. Pet lovers can help support the animals at the shelter by donating to or shopping at the store.
