Kitten Nursery in San Diego Celebrates 10 Years
Spring has sprung, which means the nation’s first 24-hour Kitten Nursery at the San Diego Humane Society — the first ever in the nation — is opening for its 10th season! Since 2009, they helped more than 10,000 orphaned kittens. Each one has a unique story of survival. My own gorgeous tuxedo Tory, above was raised by a foster mother volunteer working with this wonderful animal rescue.I don’t live in San Diego but it was worth the trip to adopt my furkid and see the wonderful work done at this organization.
Here are some of the kittens and their stories that survived because of this establishment.
When this cross-eyed kitty named Bum came into the Kitten Nursery, he made everyone smile. He looked worried all the time, but he was actually super playful and silly! His adopter fell in love with him instantly and you can still see his cute, worried face on his Instagram account – @worried_cat_aka_bum!
Sophia arrived at the nursery with her umbilical cord tightly wrapped around her leg, leaving her with a severely infected back paw that needed to be amputated. Once she was feeling better, she was quickly adopted by a San Diego veteran who is working to get Sophia a prosthetic paw and fondly dubbed her, “Sophia the Bionic Cat.” The pair visits wounded veterans and amputees to help bring them comfort and inspiration. Sophia’s mom even wrote a book about her and made her an Instagram page, @sophiabioniccat1!
Sweet as Pie! And the award for best cat momma goes to…Found as a pregnant stray on National Pie Day, March 14, Pie was transferred to the 24-hour Kitten Nursery because she was in need of specialized care and around-the-clock monitoring alongside her newborn babies: Pecan, Key Lime, Lemon Meringue, Rhubarb and Huckleberry
Don’t we all want to be held after our bellies are full?When Fuego was in the Kitten Nursery, he was diagnosed with a condition called megaesophagus, which meant that he struggled to move food down into his stomach. Kitten Nursery staff gave Fuego upright feedings in a baby carrier and carried him wrapped up like an adorable burrito after each feeding.Staff also got creative with elevated feedings, often using a little doll chair to prop up his food tray while he ate. He found a loving home with a special adopter who continued his specialized care.
A humane officer was sent to a neighborhood park after meowing was heard coming from a trash can. The officer found a sealed garbage bag that contained a tiny, barely alive kitten. He was in critical condition, but San Diego Humane Society veterinarians didn’t lose hope. Under the care of the Kitten Nursery, Oscar was stable within two days. He is thriving in his new home!
You can learn more here.