Four tiny kittens relaxing on a fuzzy blanket

Fuzz, fluff and fun: Foster to save lives this kitten season

Every year during spring and summer, thousands of tiny kittens arrive in overwhelming numbers at our nation’s animal shelters — and they depend on us humans for love and care.


With so many lives in the balance, your help is needed to make sure every whiskered wee one can look forward to a bright future.

Three cat silhouttes

Fostering saves lives

When you foster a kitten, you’re not only ensuring that these adorable fuzz balls get a chance to grow up and find families of their own, you’re helping to make space in the shelter for other animals in need.

What’s in it for you? More fun and fulfillment than you can shake a feather wand at. Providing love and care to kittens can be uniquely gratifying. 

Perennial kitten foster caregiver Paula Roy explains: “The bottle babies are particularly special to me because it’s a high-risk, high-reward situation. Kittens are fragile, so you’re really their champion. And they teach you a lot about being strong, too, and about resilience.”

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Not sure where to start?

We’re here to provide all the resources and information you’ll need to embark on your fostering journey.

When you give us your email, we'll send you everything you need to know — from helpful tips to uplifting stories to how-to videos — and so much more.

Helpful tips and tools – for foster pros and first-timers alike

Whether this is your first time fostering or your fifth, you’re helping to save the lives of the most vulnerable among us.

Supplies: what you’ll need

Usually, your shelter or rescue group will provide everything you need to set your tiny houseguests on the path to health and happiness.

Your guide to kitten development

As you’ll soon see firsthand, kittens are constantly changing and growing, so feeding them properly at every stage is critical.

Feeding kittens during their different stages of development:

Stories of love and lifesaving

What kinds of people foster kittens? Caring individuals just like you. Check out these stories of love and lifesaving from both newbies and old pros.
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Ready to start fostering?

Foster kittens are a great way to get started. Give us your email, and we'll get you everything you need to know.