kitten care program

Best Friends Kitten Care Program

In 2020, nearly 3,100 young kittens will come through the Best Friends kitten care program in Mission Hills. Our dedicated team of staff and volunteers provide around the clock care for orphaned kittens and nursing mom cats until they reach adoption age, usually around two months or when kittens weigh two pounds.

The Best Friends kitten care program in Los Angeles has cared for more than 18,000 neonatal kittens and nursing mom cats since opening its doors in February 2013. Cats and kittens are a key part of our no-kill Los Angeles initiative, and their save rate has increased significantly from 36.3% in 2011 to 83.09% in 2019.

But there is still much work ahead of us. Of the 4,886 animals killed in L.A. City Shelters in 2019, 1,941 were underage kittens. It is only with your help that we will reach the 90% no-kill benchmark for cats & kittens in Los Angeles.

How You Can Make a Difference

Foster
This year, around 14,000 kittens (two months of age or younger) will enter the Los Angeles city shelters in need of urgent rescue and care. We are looking for temporary foster homes for hundreds of baby kittens. The foster period typically lasts a short 2-3 weeks for weaned kittens and 6-8 weeks for bottle babies. The kittens are then returned back to us so we can find them a loving, permanent home. Learn more about the Best Friends foster program.

Volunteer
Volunteers are needed 24/7 to take care of kittens in our center. Duties range from bottle-feeding, cage cleaning and food preparation. Similar to a nursery, the neonatal unit has strict protocols to ensure the health of the kittens. Volunteers are needed around the clock, and we would love to have you join us! Get started by signing up as a Best Friends volunteer.

Donate
Help us provide for the thousands of kittens in our care by donating to the kitten care program. Our kitten registry lists the most-needed supplies to keep our shelves stocked with kitten milk replacement, kitten food and other essentials. Simply purchase your item and have it shipped directly to our center. Start shopping.

Please note: As much as we wish it were possible, the Best Friends kitten care program is unable to take in kittens from the public. The program is geared solely toward supporting Los Angeles shelter partners.

What to do if You Find Kittens

With shelters closed due to COVID-19 for the foreseeable future, it’s important for all of us to do what we can to keep homeless pets safe in our communities. If you find kittens and don’t know what to do, here’s an INFOGRAPHIC with step by step instructions. As you can see, it’s often best to leave kittens where they are so mom can come back to care for them. If kittens are truly in need, that’s where you can step up and help, right from the comfort of your own home. For questions or additional information, please contact bestfriendsla@bestfriends.org.

If you need help with supplies to get you started, contact us at 818-643-3852 and leave us a voicemail. For a quicker response, simply fill out this form and someone from our team will reach out to you.