Woodinville Animal Shelter Takes in Hundreds of Kittens Weekly, Asks Community for Help

As spring and summer roll around, those working in animal welfare can come to rely on one thing — kitten season.

This year, Woodinville’s Homeward Pet Adoption Center is taking in roughly 100 kittens weekly — recently reaching its physical capacity — and is asking community members to consider fostering, adopting, or donating.

“Bringing a single kitten from rescue to adoption is a massive community effort,” Megan Yuasa, clinic manager at Homeward Pet, said in a release. “Many of these animals arrive too young to survive on their own and require extensive, around-the-clock care before they can safely head to their forever homes.”

For each kitten that comes into the shelter, the adoption center provides a medical and socialization protocol that includes initial exams for common parasites and illnesses; flea- and parasite-prevention treatments; vaccines administered for those 8-16 weeks of age; spaying, neutering, and microchipping procedures; and provisions such as litter, formula, blankets, crates, and toys for foster parents who raise the kittens until they are healthy enough for surgery at 8 weeks old.

The organization also highlighted in the release its Last Litter Program, which addresses the root cause of the seasonal spike.

Under the initiative, people who encounter an unexpected litter can bring in the kittens and mother, and Homeward Pet will care for and adopt out the kittens and perform a free spay surgery for the mother cat before returning her safely to her owners.

For those unable to foster or adopt, monetary donations help the organization to secure consistent specialized food for kittens’ sensitive digestive systems.

Find more information about the nonprofit, its Last Litter program, and how to support here.