ASPCA Helps 12,000 of Los Angeles County’s Most Vulnerable Kittens

LOS ANGELES - Ahead of National Kitten Day on July 10, the ASPCA^®(The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals^®) today announced a momentous achievement by caring for its 12,000^th kitten through the ASPCA Kitten Foster Program in Los Angeles. The program provides lifesaving support for kittens under eight weeks old who are too young to be cared for at the Baldwin Park and Downey Animal Care Centers in Los Angeles County, helping to increase the number of cats and kittens saved. One vital part of the program is recruiting and training foster caregivers in Los Angeles.

"This National Kitten Day, we are grateful to our dedicated fosters who have helped us care for 12,000 kittens in Los Angeles," said Tina Fried, Senior Director of the ASPCA's L.A. Feline Programs. "Kittens under eight weeks often require round-the-clock attention, a resource that many shelters don't have, so foster programs that support frequent bottle-feeding, medical check-ups, and socialization are crucial to help these young kittens grow and find loving homes. As a foster caregiver, you will receive all the medical care, food and other necessary resources to support your kittens, and all we ask is for you to provide love and care until they are old enough and healthy enough to be adopted into a new home."

The 12,000^th kitten, a long-haired, grey-and-white male kitten named Fluffy, entered the ASPCA foster program when he was 3 weeks old after a good Samaritan found him alone and brought him to the Downey Animal Care Center. Fluffy's foster caregiver, Sarah Limon of West Covina, has fostered with the ASPCA for two years. She notes that Fluffy is very social, talkative, and loves to play. Now 10 weeks old, Fluffy is healthy and strong and will soon be available for adoption.

This milestone comes during the height of breeding season for felines, also known as "kitten season," the time of year during the warmer months when there's a surge of newborn kittens requiring specialized, intensive care, placing additional strain on many shelters. In addition to the foster program in Los Angeles, the ASPCA operates a Kitten Nursery in New York City, and, together, the programs have saved more than 23,000 vulnerable kittens.

The ASPCA launched the ASPCA Los Angeles Kitten Foster Program at Baldwin Park Animal Care Center in partnership with Los Angeles County Animal Care Centers in 2017. Baldwin Park Animal Care Center sees the highest number of kittens in the county with more than 500 4-to 8-week-old kittens entering the shelter in 2023, with Downey Animal Care Centers' intake numbers closely following with approximately 475 4-to 8-week-old kittens. Since the start of the ASPCA Kitten Foster Program, the live release rate for kittens in that age range at Baldwin Park Animal Care Center has increased by 48 percentage points and the euthanasia rate has decreased by 50 percentage points.

Since 2014, the ASPCA provides boots-on-the-ground support in Los Angeles to assist local animals and collaborates with animal welfare organizations across the state. In Los Angeles, the ASPCA offers free and low-cost spay/neuter and basic veterinary care services and operates kitten foster and adoption programs. The ASPCA also provides funding to local animal welfare organizations in Los Angeles, including supporting adoption promotions, shelter improvements for animal welfare, and spay/neuter and veterinary programs, and to date, the ASPCA has provided more than $10 million in grants directly to Los Angeles-based groups. In addition, the ASPCA works with lawmakers to increase housing opportunities for families with pets. With support from the ASPCA, breakthrough laws have been passed at the state level in California as well as in the City and County of Los Angeles that ensure families can maintain ownership and care for their pets while accessing affordable housing. The ASPCA has also secured new laws in California that provide more immediate positive outcomes for kittens through adoption or transfer to rescues.

The ASPCA recently launched the Rescue Effect campaign in partnership with ARM AND HAMMER™ to encourage the public to help shelter animals through adoption and fostering. To learn more about fostering kittens for the ASPCA in Los Angeles visit ASPCA.org/FosterLA or visit ASPCA.org/Adopt to view cats and kittens available for adoption from the ASPCA or local shelters in your community. During kitten season, another important step you can take is to prevent kittens from entering a shelter to begin with. If you find kittens outside this summer, the ASPCA has an online tool to help identify the best next steps to support their well-being, which doesn't always mean bringing them to a shelter if their mother is nearby taking care of them.

To download photos (credit: ASPCA^®), click here.