Kitten Volunteering

Recently while on the Rancho Cucamonga Animal Shelter website, I saw they were needing volunteers for a their Kitten Nursery. This is a brand new program. A huge effort is being made to save these little lives. They take in about 600 kittens a year, most of which need some type of care, many critical and bottle fed. Our shelter is not a "no kill" shelter, but it is a low kill one. It's clean, well run and I'm proud my city has such a place for abandoned animals. 

Emily was dying to get involved. To be honest, I thought it was something I could drop her off to volunteer for. I do after all, have a business to run. But...teens under 18 need to have an adult to volunteer with, so guess I was in in on it too. We also encouraged my mom to join us.  

Emily is considering a career with animals or environmental education and conservation, so let her get a taste of, not just the glamorous part, but all the work that goes into it. 

Here is a bit of what we did today. 

Folded 5 huge bags of towels, sheets and blankets, all donations and laundered regularly. 

We had kittens flirting with us from their pens while we folded. 

This location currently has about 150 kittens. That's a lot of cages to clean, litter to change, bowls,  bottles and litter boxes to wash.

, 

I didn't snap pics of the dozens of teeny tiny baby bottles and nipples we washed and had to be boiled to sterilize. 

Two different colored eyes, what a love. 

I could have taken oodles of pictures, but we were working hard. 

Emily was thrilled to get to feed the younger ones. Each of the 150 kittens there needed to be weighed and their weight logged into their chart. You must sterilize things between cages and change gloves often. 

Bless the girls and vets that work there, often on their own non paid time, the volunteers they have and still desperately need. If you live in my area and can help by volunteering as little as 2 hours a week. 24 hours a day they need help. Check it out. Even if you can donate cat litter, which they ran out while there today, more had to brought to them. Or other supplies. There is a wish list for the kitten nursery on Amazon . https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/ls?lid=B6XNUK72L915&ty=wishlist

It was rewarding, we are pooped. But will do this each week until September, when kitten season slows down. 

"Be the Change" 

Love and hugs,

 Lisa and Emily!