Where copious kitten cuteness meets lifesaving care

Senior sweethearts and timid tabbies. Spunky shorthairs and quirky calicos. Snuggle-puffs with special needs. They all have one thing in common: Each began life as a vulnerable kitten, and these tiny fluffballs can be some of the most at-risk pets in shelters.

Shelters across the country usually see an influx of kittens when the weather turns warm, and that puts them at risk of being killed when there aren’t enough resources to care for them all. Best Friends’ goal is for all shelters to reach no-kill, and that means working together with other animal welfare organizations to save pets’ lives and find them homes.

And at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary’s Cat World, vulnerable kittens get exactly what they need to heal, grow, and thrive.

The kitten nursery is a quiet space tucked inside Cat World — a kind of neonatal intensive care unit with private rooms for kittens who need to be quarantined due to illness or just extra-fragile immune systems. Some are newborn orphaned kittens who need to be bottle-fed. Some have doting mothers by their side. Others are a little older and starting to nibble kibble but still nurse for comfort. All are getting round-the-clock care.  

Caregiver Riley Prewett starts each morning by checking on everyone and providing meals, medications if needed, and playtime. “You have to pay attention to mom just as much as the babies,” she says. “We have an understanding, and it works. I talk to them like they’re little humans. I think they understand when I tell them, ‘I’m here to take care of you and your babies.’”

Weigh-ins are part of the daily routine, too, to track each kitten’s progress. “Sometimes they sit very politely (on the scale), and other times they don't, but this guy is doing a very good job,” she says as she gently places a tabby fuzzball with white paws and a button nose onto the scale. She cheers for every ounce gained: “Wow, you had big gains. That’s great!”

[Learn more about adoptable cats at Best Friends] 

But it’s not just numbers on a scale that mark success here. It’s a baby kitten’s eyes opening for the first time. Wobbly steps that turn into confident pounces. The moment a kitten graduates from bottle to bowl. The growth, as Riley says, is the best part: “It’s really, really rewarding.”

And while the days are filled with feedings, weigh-ins, and a whole lot of cleanup, it’s those tiny milestones that make every moment worth it.

[Faces of No-Kill: Kitten’s job is just play]

“They’re just so fun to watch,” she says. “They jump around and act so silly all day long. It’s really enjoyable.”

Because here in the nursery, cuteness is serious business — and every kitten deserves the chance to grow up safe, strong, and just as silly as nature intended.

Our goal at Best Friends is to support all animal shelters in the U.S. in reaching no-kill. No-kill means saving every dog and cat in a shelter who can be saved, accounting for community safety and good quality of life for pets. 

Shelter staff can’t do it alone. Saving animals in shelters is everyone’s responsibility, and it takes support and participation from the community. No-kill is possible when we work together thoughtfully, honestly, and collaboratively.