I’ve been in a very “set fire to all the things!” kind of mood. Not literally, of course, but I’m just itching to get rid of things we don’t need anymore, and trying to look in those nooks and crannies that usually escape my notice. Well, today I ran across the vet records for the kitties, which included these:

I absolutely LOVE the humane society for giving these to me when we adopted them.

They were such itty bitty little babies! So sweet, and vulnerable. How did they wind up at our humane society?

They came from another shelter in the area that probably euthanizes for space, unlike ours. They were out of time. Had our humane society not swooped in and taken them, there would be no Cuppie and Vizzi. Those adorable little fuzzballs and their brothers would never been given a chance to be adopted, grow up, and be loved on.

We’re right in the beginning of another kitten season. Shelters all around the country are going to be swamped with kittens just like Buttercup and Vizzi. If they don’t have the space or the funds to take care of these kittens, they will be euthanized. It’s harsh, but it’s true. You can help. Donate materials, or money, to your local shelters. This time of year, kitten formula, heating pads, scales, and baby food (among other things) are all in high demand. If you want to be specific, check with your shelter first and see what they’re most in need of.
If you live in an area with a kill shelter, find out what you can do to help change that. Our local shelter only became a no kill facility ~10 years ago. It takes time, resources, and a lot of work to change over, but if the facility and community are willing, it can happen.

If you can, perhaps look into fostering kittens or adopting a couple of your own. (I’m a HUGE fan of adopting kittens out in pairs. They really do keep each other busy, and are way less work than one kitten alone.) We don’t have the room to do either of those things right now – Gwen would NOT appreciate the stress of more nosy little gremlins, and we don’t have adequate room to keep kittens away from our nosy gremlins.

Volunteering may be difficult at this time with various covid restrictions, but perhaps that is something you can do in the future! Shelters always need a variety of volunteers, even for stuff like doing the laundry and washing dishes.

Regardless, there’s a variety of ways you, yes you, can help save kittens (and puppies) this year. When we all chip in a little, we can have a profound impact on those around us.