About Our Kitten Program
Due to the time and resources needed to keep them alive, kittens are one of the most at-risk populations to enter shelters — which is why San Diego Humane Society’s Kitten Program is dedicated to saving thousands of tiny lives each year.
In 2009, we opened the country’s first-ever around-the-clock kitten nursery to meet the unique needs of kittens under the age of eight weeks. Now the Jim Lester Kitten Nursery & Foster Center, it has become a nationally leading solution for kittens in shelters.
Our Kitten Program includes nurseries at our San Diego, Escondido and Oceanside Campuses, along with an incredible network of dedicated, trained foster volunteers who can provide 24-hour care in their own homes. We care for more than 6,000 neonate kittens every year — helping them grow from delicate infants to independent kittens ready to join loving families.
Caring for tiny kittens is no small feat, and our lifesaving support includes everything from bottle feedings to complex surgeries. We are committed to being there for every kitten who comes through our doors, even the most vulnerable ones in need of extensive care.
Programs like this are few and far between, and one of the key components to San Diego Humane Society’s commitment to Stay at Zero euthanasia of healthy or treatable shelter animals. Our Kitten Program serves as a leading example, and we share best practices for kitten care with shelters across the country — helping them save more lives in their own communities.
