The Peterborough Humane Society‘s latest campaign aims to raise funds to support the “hundreds” of orphaned kittens and pregnant cats the organization takes in annually.
On Friday, the shelter launched its Fur the Love of Moms fundraising campaign, aiming to raise $10,000 over 10 days to continue to provide care for the cats it will accept throughout the year. In 2019, the shelter says it received 150 kittens, many of whom came in with their mothers.
The humane society says the coronavirus pandemic has had a “tremendous” impact, prompting the shelter to close its doors to the public on March 16. The adoption program was closed for a month on March 27, and organizers cancelled the annual Fur Ball Gala, the shelter’s largest fundraising event.
Despite being closed to the public, operations manager Toni Redfern says the humane society continues to take in stray and abandoned animals and those needing emergency care on a daily basis.
“Kitten season usually starts in mid-April when it starts getting warmer, with most kittens coming in in May and June,” said Redfern. “These kittens are usually in our care for two to three months, depending on their age when they come in, and require significant resources.”
She says most kittens and nursing moms are placed in experienced foster homes until the kittens are around three months old to return to the shelter for their spay/neuter surgery. Foster homes are provided with the food and resources to care for the kittens, which receive all necessary medical treatment through the humane society, Redfern explains.
Redfern notes that one female cat with four kittens easily consumes up to four cans of wet food per day, plus a large bowl of kibble. Neonate orphans require around-the-clock care, with feeding every three hours, she says. One litter of neonates, on average, consumes several cans of kitten formula in their first five weeks of life. One can of instant formula sells for around $40, she says.
“We’ve already taken in several pregnant females and orphaned kittens this year,” Redfern said. “Despite being closed to the public during the COVID-19 pandemic, we continue to take in stray, abandoned and emergency care animals.”
Some of the recent intakes include Blossom, a newborn kitten who came in on Easter Sunday, and Sam, who came in as a five-week-old kitten with a broken leg on March 24. Redfern says Sam underwent emergency surgery to repair his broken leg and is recovering well in his foster home.
To support the Fur the Love of Moms campaign, visit the shelter’s donation page.