Kitten Nursery

Of the 7,600 cats and dogs killed in L.A. city shelters in 2016, more than 2,600 were underage kittens (two months of age or younger), simply because they didn't have safe places to call home. The tiny creatures, often abandoned at birth or turned into shelters from accidental litters, have very little hope of growing up and getting adopted but together we can change that. 

We welcomed over 3,000 kittens into our lifesaving nursery in 2017 and expecting another busy year in 2018!

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At Best Friends in Los Angeles, our foster kittens and nursing moms are pick-up by appointment only. To sign up to foster with us, please take these 2 steps:

STEP 1 - sign up to volunteer (foster)

Go to volunteers.bestfriends.org to create a volunteer profile.
Follow the steps to volunteer in Los Angeles.

STEP 2 - complete our online orientation

Watch the orientation video from the comfort of your own home HERE. Once completed, you will receive a confirmation email and help to sign-up for a pick-up time! Questions? Email fosterLA@bestfriends.org or call 818-643-3213

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Help us provide love and care for thousands of fuzzy little babies and consider making a donation:

Or visit our Amazon wishlist to donate directly from our kitten registry:

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Best Friends in Los Angeles opened a neonatal kitten nursery in February 2013.  The nursery is staffed with a dedicated nursery lead, nursery volunteer coordinator, rotating cat team members and supported by a cadre of devoted volunteers who sign up for two hour feeding shifts 24 hours a day to help the kittens grow and thrive. In 2017, the neonatal nursery, a program of the Best Friends’ No-Kill Los Angeles initiative, has a goal of caring for over 3,000 kittens, these are kittens that come from our partner at Los Angeles Animal Services. To date, more than 9,000 precious kittens and nursing mothers have been cared for in our nursery. 

Similar to a real nursery, the neonatal unit has strict protocols to ensure the health of the kittens, as well as stuffed animals, festive décor, and individualized feeding stations among its many cages and incubators to provide lots of love.

Volunteers are needed 24/7 to take care of kittens in our on-site nursery. Duties range from bottle-feeding, cage cleaning, and food preparation. Shifts are needed around the clock, and we would love to have you join us! Email volunteerLA@bestfriends.org to get started.

Once weaned from bottle feeding at about five to six weeks, the kittens are still in critical need. This is an ideal time for a foster home for these kittens. 

Foster homes are an integral part of the solution to saving these kittens. The foster period could be as long as 6-8 weeks if you can take the tiny bottles babies which require round the clock feeding but most foster homes typically last a short two to three weeks for those kittens that have started eating on their own as the kittens are returned at two months old to be showcased for adoption at the center. All potential fosters need is a room (even a bathroom will do) and the ability to feed and interact with the cats several times a day. Best Friends supplies the food and any necessary medical care. Email fosterla@bestfriends.org to sign up.

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