CatPAWS’ lifesaving work results in grant to support kittens

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Long Beach Animal Control has an ally in The Helen Sanders Cat Protection and Welfare Society, which developed an alternative to vulnerable neonatal kittens landing at the shelter.

The society, also knowns as HS CatPAWS, developed kits that provide basic supplies for caring for neonatal kittens in an average home including bottle, a warming blanket, and more. This year, HS CatPAWS received a $2,000 grant from national animal welfare organization Best Friends Animal Society to support the kitten care kits program.

“Tiny kittens need all the friends they can get.  Every year across the country, animal shelters are inundated with thousands of frail little felines but these shelters usually don’t have the resources or staff to give these tykes a fighting chance,” said  CatPAWS volunteer, Deborah Felin.

“So we really appreciate Best Friends. This funding comes at an important time, at the start of kitten season.  With this $2,000 we can save even more little lives this year. Newborn kittens are especially at risk in shelters because they are too young to take care of themselves; they are weeks away from being eligible for adoption; and they are more likely to contract and transmit disease than other animals in shelters,” Felin, said.

These kits will be handed out at Long Beach Animal Control and by Long Beach Animal Control officers to residents as an alternative to surrendering the kittens to the shelter, where they likely will be euthanized. This is the second year of this program with 80 kits being handed out last year. Best Friends funds will cover 40 kits

The Helen Sanders Cat Protection and Welfare Society is a member of Best Friends’ No More Homeless Pets® Network which is made up of more than 1,800 shelters, rescue groups and other animal welfare organizations in all corners of the country actively saving animals’ lives and reducing shelter deaths locally.