Latest news with #HannahShaw
The Independent
5 days ago
- General
- The Independent
Welcome to kitten season, when animal shelters need all the help they can get
Strawberry, Blueberry, JoJo and Mazzy were about 6 weeks old when animal rescuers coaxed them out of long metal pipes in the parking lot of a storage unit company. Meatball was a single kitten living in a cold garage with a group of semi-feral adult cats. Spaghetti, Macaroni and Rigatoni, meanwhile, were just 2 weeks old when the good folks of LIC Feral Feeders, a cat rescue in Queens, took them in and bottle-fed them until they were strong enough to survive. Consider these cuties the face of kitten season 2025. Kitten season, typically landing during warmer months, is the time of year when most cats give birth. That produces a surge of kittens, often fragile neonates. Shelters get overwhelmed, especially when it comes to the 24-hour care and feeding of extremely young kittens. That, as a result, triggers a need for more foster homes because many of the 4,000 or so shelters in the U.S. don't have the time or resources for around-the-clock care, said Hannah Shaw, an animal welfare advocate known as the Kitten Lady with more than a million followers on Instagram. 'We see about 1.5 million kittens entering shelters every year. And most of them will come into shelters during May and June,' she said. 'Shelters need all hands on deck to help out through fostering.' Familiarity with fostering animals is high, Shaw said. The act of doing it is a different story. There's a false perception, she said, that the expense of fostering animals falls on the people who step up to do it. These days, many shelters and rescues cover the food, supplies and medical costs of fostering. 'A lot of people don't foster because they think it's going to be this huge cost, but fostering actually only costs you time and love,' she said. Lisa Restine, a Hill's Pet Nutrition veterinarian, said people looking to adopt kittens should take pairs since cats often bond early in life. And how many cats is too many cats per household? 'This is nothing serious or medical but my general rule of thumb is the number of adults in the house, like a 2-to-1 ratio, because you can carry one cat in each hand, so if there are two adults you can have four cats and still be sane,' she said. Square footage to avoid territory disputes is a good rule of thumb when planning for cats, Restine said. Two cats per 800 square feet then 200 square feet more for each addition should help, she said. Littermates, like Macaroni and Rigatoni, are much more likely to bond, Restine said. Kittens not biologically related but raised together often bond as well — like Meatball and Spaghetti. But adopters hoping to bond an adult cat with a new kitten arrival may be disappointed. 'Once they're over that 3- or 4-month mark, it's hard to get that true bonding,' Restine said. Typically, kittens stay in their foster homes from a few weeks to a few months. While statistics are not kept on the number of kitten fosters that 'fail' — when foster families decided to keep their charges — some shelters report rates as high as 90%. That's a win, despite use of the word 'fail,' advocates note. Shaw sees another barrier holding people back from fostering: the notion that it requires special training or skills. That's why she has dedicated her life to educating the public, offering videos, books and research on how it works at her site Companies are coming on board, too. Hill's, a pet food company, runs the Hill's Food, Shelter & Love program. It has provided more than $300 million in food support to over 1,000 animal shelters that support fostering in North America. 'About a quarter of a million kittens, unfortunately, don't survive in our shelters every year,' Shaw said. 'The shelter's going to be there to mentor and support you. So I think a lot of the fear that people have about fostering, they might find that actually it is something you totally can do. It's just scary because you haven't done it yet.'
Associated Press
5 days ago
- General
- Associated Press
Welcome to kitten season, when animal shelters need all the help they can get
NEW YORK (AP) — Strawberry, Blueberry, JoJo and Mazzy were about 6 weeks old when animal rescuers coaxed them out of long metal pipes in the parking lot of a storage unit company. Meatball was a single kitten living in a cold garage with a group of semi-feral adult cats. Spaghetti, Macaroni and Rigatoni, meanwhile, were just 2 weeks old when the good folks of LIC Feral Feeders, a cat rescue in Queens, took them in and bottle-fed them until they were strong enough to survive. Consider these cuties the face of kitten season 2025. Kitten season, typically landing during warmer months, is the time of year when most cats give birth. That produces a surge of kittens, often fragile neonates. Shelters get overwhelmed, especially when it comes to the 24-hour care and feeding of extremely young kittens. That, as a result, triggers a need for more foster homes because many of the 4,000 or so shelters in the U.S. don't have the time or resources for around-the-clock care, said Hannah Shaw, an animal welfare advocate known as the Kitten Lady with more than a million followers on Instagram. 'We see about 1.5 million kittens entering shelters every year. And most of them will come into shelters during May and June,' she said. 'Shelters need all hands on deck to help out through fostering.' Familiarity with fostering animals is high, Shaw said. The act of doing it is a different story. There's a false perception, she said, that the expense of fostering animals falls on the people who step up to do it. These days, many shelters and rescues cover the food, supplies and medical costs of fostering. 'A lot of people don't foster because they think it's going to be this huge cost, but fostering actually only costs you time and love,' she said. Lisa Restine, a Hill's Pet Nutrition veterinarian, said people looking to adopt kittens should take pairs since cats often bond early in life. And how many cats is too many cats per household? 'This is nothing serious or medical but my general rule of thumb is the number of adults in the house, like a 2-to-1 ratio, because you can carry one cat in each hand, so if there are two adults you can have four cats and still be sane,' she said. Square footage to avoid territory disputes is a good rule of thumb when planning for cats, Restine said. Two cats per 800 square feet then 200 square feet more for each addition should help, she said. Littermates, like Macaroni and Rigatoni, are much more likely to bond, Restine said. Kittens not biologically related but raised together often bond as well — like Meatball and Spaghetti. But adopters hoping to bond an adult cat with a new kitten arrival may be disappointed. 'Once they're over that 3- or 4-month mark, it's hard to get that true bonding,' Restine said. Typically, kittens stay in their foster homes from a few weeks to a few months. While statistics are not kept on the number of kitten fosters that 'fail' — when foster families decided to keep their charges — some shelters report rates as high as 90%. That's a win, despite use of the word 'fail,' advocates note. Shaw sees another barrier holding people back from fostering: the notion that it requires special training or skills. That's why she has dedicated her life to educating the public, offering videos, books and research on how it works at her site Companies are coming on board, too. Hill's, a pet food company, runs the Hill's Food, Shelter & Love program. It has provided more than $300 million in food support to over 1,000 animal shelters that support fostering in North America. 'About a quarter of a million kittens, unfortunately, don't survive in our shelters every year,' Shaw said. 'The shelter's going to be there to mentor and support you. So I think a lot of the fear that people have about fostering, they might find that actually it is something you totally can do. It's just scary because you haven't done it yet.'
Associated Press
6 days ago
- General
- Associated Press
HILL'S PET NUTRITION AND KITTEN LADY HANNAH SHAW TEAM UP TO HELP SAVE MORE KITTENS AND SUPPORT SHELTERS DURING BUSY KITTEN SEASON
Initiative aims to reduce fostering barriers and support shelters facing an uptick in tiny felines during this critical time OVERLAND PARK, Kan., June 4, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Every spring and summer, animal shelters across the country face a surge of vulnerable kittens in need of care—a time known as 'kitten season.' According to Shelter Animals Count, kittens under five months made up 57% of all feline shelter intakes last year, with neonates (kittens under four weeks old) requiring intensive, around-the-clock care. This overwhelming demand often strains already-stretched shelter resources, leaving many kittens at risk without community support. To address this critical issue, Hill's Pet Nutrition —backed by a 22-year commitment to shelter pets through its Food, Shelter & Love program —has teamed up with award-winning kitten rescuer and educator Hannah Shaw (aka Kitten Lady) to rally support for kittens and shelters on the frontlines. The collaboration aims to inspire more people to foster by equipping them with valuable resources that instill confidence while highlighting the critical role of nutrition in every kitten's journey. How Fostering Works – and How Easy It Can Be Despite the lifesaving impact of fostering, only 1 in 10 Americans have ever fostered pets, according to findings from the upcoming Hill's 2025 State of Shelter Pet Adoption Report. Fostering is a rewarding way to make a difference in the lives of vulnerable kittens while addressing a great need for shelters and rescues. Most shelters typically provide everything a foster needs from food and supplies to veterinary care, removing any financial barriers so fosters only need to provide the love and care. 'Having fostered over 1,000 animals, I've seen firsthand how impactful fostering can be,' said Shaw. 'By opening your home to a kitten in need, you're not only giving them a better life but also helping shelters focus their resources where they're needed most. Fostering doesn't require any special experience—just a loving heart and a willingness to help. I'm proud to partner with Hill's to show how accessible and rewarding it can be to foster.' How Hill's Supports Shelters and Fosters For more than 20 years, Hill's has been a partner to shelters, providing vital, high-quality nutrition to more than 1,000 shelters in North America and helping more than 15 million pets find new homes. Many Hill's-supported shelters offer complimentary Hill's Science Diet Kitten foods to foster families, ensuring that kittens receive the specialized nutrition they need to grow and thrive. Once kittens are ready for adoption, Hill's continues to support their healthy start by offering New Pet Parent Kits, which include a starter bag of Hill's Science Diet food and helpful resources for new pet parents. 'Nutrition plays a vital role in a kitten's early development, and early exposure to a variety of food textures and flavors is key,' said Lisa Restine, DVM, DABVP (feline), feline professional veterinary affairs manager at Hill's Pet Nutrition. 'Hill's Science Diet Kitten foods are carefully formulated with balanced minerals to support growing bones and teeth and an antioxidant blend of Vitamins C & E to support developing immune systems. Science Diet Kitten is available in dry, wet and stew, and with different protein options to help fosters and new adopters introduce their kittens to different forms of food, setting them up for long-term success.' Join Us to Help Save More Kittens Whether you're ready to foster or looking for other ways to support, there's never been a more crucial time to open your home to kittens in need or support your local shelter. Here's how you can help: About Hill's Pet Nutrition Founded more than 75 years ago with an unwavering commitment to science-led pet nutrition, Hill's Pet Nutrition is on a mission to help enrich and lengthen the special relationships between people and their pets. Hill's is dedicated to pioneering research for dogs and cats using a scientific understanding of their specific needs. As a leading veterinarian recommended pet food brand, knowledge is our first ingredient with nearly 200 veterinarians, PhD nutritionists and food scientists working to develop breakthrough innovations in pet health. Hill's Prescription Diet therapeutic nutrition plus our everyday wellness product line, Hill's Science Diet, are sold at vet clinics and pet specialty retailers worldwide. For more information about our products and nutritional philosophy, visit Media Contact Ariana Brancato, [email protected] View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Hill's Pet Nutrition
