The Humane Society of Harford County will soon be hearing the pitter patter of lots of little paws. To prepare for kitten season — the time of year when pregnant and nursing cats and orphaned neonatal kittens flood animal shelters across the nation — the Humane Society is hosting a one-hour Virtual Kitten Shower on Saturday, April 10, from 2 to 3 p.m.
The shower will be led by Bridget White, HSHC’s foster coordinator, and will kick-off with a meow-mosa mocktail toast to all foster parents and donors. White will lead a kitten bottle feeding demonstration, discuss setting up a kitten-proof area inside the home, answer questions about the foster program, and offer fun games and activities.
The location to join the virtual meeting will be posted at harfordshelter.org, on HSHC’s Facebook page, or sign-up to receive an email with the link at tinyurl.com/showerthekittens.
“Every March, as soon as the winter weather breaks, we get a litter or two of kittens,” White said. “And that signals the beginning of kitten season. At the height of the summer, it’s not unusual to receive several new litters every week.”
HSHC has a well-established foster care program that places kittens into temporary homes when they are either too young for adoption or are being treated for an illness. Having trained foster care providers and a pantry well stocked with supplies is part of HSHC’s proactive life-saving strategy.
The community can help the shelter welcome all the little ones in the following ways:
- View HSHC’s gift registry at tinyurl.com/HSHCKittens. Items on the list include kitten food, non-clumping kitty litter, powdered kitten milk replacer and bottles, and gift cards to local pet stores. Donations can be shipped to the shelter at 2208 Connolly Road, Fallston, MD 21047 or dropped off contact free on the following days/times: Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sundays from noon to 4 p.m.
- Apply to be a foster parent at HarfordShelter.org.
- Help to fill the playpen with supplies at The Mill of Bel Air, 424 N. Main Street, Bel Air, MD 21014.
- Make a monetary donation to support the kittens at HarfordShelter.org.
The Humane Society of Harford County, Inc., is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) charitable organization dedicated to the welfare and well-being of the approximately 3,000 animals that come to the shelter each year.