Every kitten season, thousands of baby kittens end up in animal shelters.
Separated from their mothers and needing someone to care for them.
Unfortunately, shelters typically don't have the resources to keep babies alive. So, unweaned kittens are at high risk of euthanasia.
But, there is an answer.
Fostering.
Fostering is fun,
heartwarming, and only takes a couple of weeks before you get to say, "Goodbye."
Anyone can learn how to foster kittens and it's the only chance these guys have at a full life.
This is the story of how just a few weeks in foster care helped
give a second chance to a tiny black kitten, Tetley, who earned her name because she was so small
that she was brought to the shelter in, well, a most peculiar way.
"Brought into by patron in a tea box. Gah!"
(laughs)
What do you mean a "tea box"?
WELL, LIKE...
Like a little box of tea?
LIKE A BIGALOW OR LIKE A...DO YOU KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT?
Tiny?
YEAH.
Oh well, she needs to be named after some kind of tea then.
Tetley was born outside
and it was just a tiny nugget at two weeks old when someone picked her up and brought her to the animal shelter in a
tea box. At two weeks old motherless kittens require around-the-clock care,
including bottle feeding, gentle grooming, and help going to the bathroom.
(Tetley crying)
Young kittens require frequent care overnight, so it can help to have a friend or partner to take shifts with and
Tetley was lucky to have multiple people to tend to her needs
Andrew got a crash course in the joys of the kitten care.
Did you hear that?
NO.
She farted!
(laughter)
And our friend Katherine agreed to babysit her whenever we were away.
(Shaw off camera) She loves this.
With a little TLC and a team effort, Tetley began to grow up, and we began to refer to her as an alien space bear.
For her big almond-shaped eyes and her tiny cub ears.
Her cuteness is otherworldly.
After a 2-week quarantine, Tetley became friends with Chloe, another kitten in my care.
Socializing helps kittens develop healthy behaviors around playing,
grooming, and friendship.
It was clear that Tetley is a kitten who loves other cats.
As Tetley got older, she stopped bottle-feeding,
learned how to drink formula from a dish,
and eventually, when she started eating meaty kitten food, she discovered that she is in fact a tiny predator.
Tetley!
You're psycho!
These playing behaviors are so funny to watch develop. (growl) And it's really healthy and normal for a young kitten.
(Tetley growling and hissing)
We gave her lots of toys so she could practice blossoming into a tiny house panther.
Tetley?
(growl)
Can I borrow your toy for a second?
For his crazy and playful as Tetley became, she was equally snuggly and sweet--a very well-adjusted kitten.
It became clear that Tetley was almost ready for adoption.
While foster parents fall in love with every kitten they rescue, the ultimate goal is for them to become ready for a new home.
And it feels so good to know that you've fully prepared them to be successful with a new family.
Once the time was right, Tetley found a new family. A woman and her teenage son, who's a
volunteer with cats at his local shelter. The best part is they already have two cats for her to become friends with
Andrew, Katherine, and I all got together with the new family to celebrate Tetley's big day and to wish her off.
We signed the adoption contract,
shed a few happy tears, and gave Tetley a lot of kisses goodbye, and she was on her way.
We love you, Tetley!
Yes, it's emotional to say goodbye to a kitten you've loved and raised,
but it's all about how you frame it.
Just a few weeks of your time and love,
helps that kitten cross the street. And now they've gotten to the other side and will have an incredible life because of your selflessness.
It's not a sad day. It's a celebration.
Goodbye is the goal of fostering, and we're all celebrating saying goodbye to Tetley, and wishing her a happy journey and a happy life.
(Hey! Tetley saved Cloe's life. The reason
we went and got Chloe it was because we were called to get Tetley).
"Bye Tetley! Thanks for saving me!"
Want to foster kittens, but not sure where to start?
You can visit kittenlady.org/savekittens to learn everything from how to get involved with your local shelter,
to how to provide life-saving care for tiny kittens.
I make it easy and fun for you to save lives, so that every kitten has a chance. Just like Tetley.