Assessment Guide
In 2007, research identified that 71 percent of treatable animals euthanized in San Diego County were kittens and cats, and 38 percent of these were kittens under the age of eight weeks. There simply weren’t enough foster homes to accommodate this many neonate kittens, so in 2009 San Diego Humane Society opened the nation’s first 24-hour kitten nursery.
Today, the Jim Lester Kitten Nursery at our San Diego Campus has evolved into a facility that provides specialized care and collaborates with dedicated fosters to give kittens the around-the-clock care they need to thrive. And, San Diego Humane Society operates nursery programs at our Escondido and Oceanside campuses. This work is critical to helping San Diego County Stay at Zero of healthy or treatable shelter animals.
That’s our story – what’s yours?
Take this assessment to determine what type of kitten program would be best for your own community.
Does your organization/community euthanize treatable kittens due to being unable to find care for them?
Is your foster network robust enough?
Yes NoAre you interested in launching a kitten nursery?
Yes, Let's Get Started! Maybe Not Yet.- Trap-Neuter Return or Spay-Neuter Return programs.
- Consider a Foster Program.
- Implement a Working Cat Adoption Program for barn cats.
- Start a fundraiser to raise money for a Kitten Nursery, like Kitten Crashing or Kitten Yoga.
- Not all nurseries have to be staffed 24-hours. Check out these videos for more information on running a satellite nursery.
Satellite location, staffed during business hours
Satellite location, staffed during business hours
