County animal shelter seeks volunteers to foster kittens

The Santa Clara County Animal Services Center is seeking volunteers to foster kittens in their homes until the animals are old enough to be adopted.

Every year, beginning in the spring, the San Martin shelter receives roughly 1,500 kittens that require plenty of TLC until they are ready for adoption, which is usually around six to eight weeks old, says a press release from Santa Clara County.

The shelter does not have the capacity to care for all these kittens—thus increasing the need for more foster homes. Fostering provides a safe environment for the kittens, who are at a vulnerable stage in their development, as well as the socialization they need to be comfortably placed in a permanent home.

“Fostering is not only rewarding but also saves lives,” said Lisa Jenkins, Program Manager for the San Martin Animal Services Center. “We are so grateful to our community for helping us care for these animals. If you haven’t fostered before, but are curious, we encourage you to get involved.”

The kittens that are brought to the shelter are typically orphaned babies of feral cats, says the press release. They need round-the-clock attention in the first few weeks of life, after which they become more independent. At about seven weeks, they are old enough to be neutered and find adoptive families.

The Animal Services Center provides volunteers who foster kittens with food, supplies and support. “Your job is to give some of nature’s cutest creations a bunch of love, keep an eye out for any illnesses or developmental issues, and make sure they receive any needed medical care from the shelter,” says the press release.

Volunteers can decide their own level of involvement. If caring for newborns is too much of a commitment, volunteers can take them in once they’re older.

Joan Sullivan, of Morgan Hill, has fostered kittens from the shelter for about three years. She started doing it for her granddaughter, who loves cats but can’t own any because of allergies in her family, says the press release.

Sullivan generally gets the kittens when they are about five weeks old, having moved from bottle-feeding to eating on their own, and keeps them for a few weeks.

Fostering has provided Sullivan with quality time with her grandkids, who love to visit and play with the kittens. 

“I have (also) met some absolutely wonderful people who have adopted kittens that I have fostered,” she said. “A couple of them have become very good friends. It’s been a very social thing for me.”

Cindy Barnes, a longtime volunteer with the Animal Services Center, specializes in kittens that need special care. Once she took in a sick kitten that wasn’t eating and fed her with a syringe, slowly nursing her back to health, according to the press release. Another time she fostered a kitten with a deformed leg. Both were ultimately adopted.  

“The absolute best part is seeing the kittens thrive and then get adopted,” said Barnes, a Morgan Hill resident. “It feels good knowing you’ve made a difference in their lives.”

To learn more about fostering kittens, visit the Animal Services Center’s foster care webpage (bit.ly/40O3atu) or watch an informational video (youtube.com/watch?v=8K9KT2Je2WI). To sign up, go to the county’s volunteer registration webpage (bit.ly/40vgp2E). 

For more information about the Animal Services Center, go to the shelter’s website at animalservices.sccgov.org.