Save Them All … starting with the smallest

With their fuzzy ears and delicate paws, they couldn’t get much cuter. But in many animal shelters around the country, kittens under eight weeks of age are the pets most at risk of losing their lives. That’s why the Best Friends Lifesaving Center here in Salt Lake City — where kitten season is already well underway — includes a state-of-the-art kitten nursery.

Indeed, at any given time, staff and volunteers care for about 100 orphaned kittens (under two months of age and less than two pounds in weight), as well as nursing mothers and their kittens. Each animal receives the care and love needed to grow, thrive and find a loving home.

So what makes newborn kittens such a vulnerable group? Most shelters have difficulty finding and dedicating resources to provide the level of care needed to keep these “bottle babies” alive. But we're helping out shelters, working together to save more lives. And here, a team of staff and volunteers ensure that they’re kept warm and fed, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Quite a task, considering that the youngest require feeding every two hours.

Want to be part of this lifesaving work? The animals would be so grateful, and there are several ways to lend a hand. Check out details about becoming an intern in the kitten nursery or watch this video for information about fostering. You can even help stock our kitten nursery; please take a look at our Amazon wish list and order online. 

To accomplish something as big as ending the killing of dogs and cats in shelters, sometimes you have to start small — with newborn kittens. At Best Friends, we understand that each one is a life worth nurturing, feeding, comforting and enriching. And with our commitment to lead the entire country to no-kill by 2025, every last little ball of fluff counts.