September 24, 2019

Our Foster Kittens: 14 Kittens from the SD Humane Kitten Nursery

Fostering kittens is something David and I are deeply passionate about. I’ve blogged about our experience with fostering and today I wanted to share all 14 of our foster kittens we’ve had since October 2018. We get our kittens from the San Diego Humane Society’s Kitten Nursery – one of the twelve 24/7 kitten nurseries in the country. As of today, we’ve had kittens in our care for a total of 124 days and we can’t wait to add more once our condo construction is complete.

foster kittens in san diego 

Scythe and Agricola

Our first pair, Scythe and Agricola, completely bonded with each other to the point we were sure they were a true “bonded pair.” Scythe, the boy who looks like he’s wearing a black mask, and Agricola, the sweet girl, had to be some of our most playful kittens.

Black and white kitten, Fostering Kittens in San Diego | SD Humane Society, Cavin Elizabeth Photography

Black and white kitten, Fostering Kittens in San Diego | SD Humane Society, Cavin Elizabeth Photography
Agricola
Black and white kitten, Fostering Kittens in San Diego | SD Humane Society, Cavin Elizabeth Photography
Scythe
Black and white kitten, Fostering Kittens in San Diego | SD Humane Society, Cavin Elizabeth Photography 

Cindy and Ty

Cindy and Ty were our only set of kittens who were not siblings. They were “singletons” placed together with us so they would have the opportunity to socialize with other kittens. Ty was a sweet little fluff ball and Cindy was the most affectionate kitten I have ever met. She would purr and squeak on me for half an hour before passing out and snuggling. Unfortunately I have no professional photos of Cindy, so iPhone will have to do!

Bride in Marchesa Poppy gown and groom in The Black Tux holding a seven week old kitten, Pampas Grass Wedding in San Diego on Film by Cavin Elizabeth Photography
Ty
Adorable Kittens
Cindy
 

Benny, Danny, Forrest

Benny, Danny, and Forrest had no lack of energy, although they were quite shy when first brought to our home. A little older than our past kittens, these boys were technically ready for their neuter surgery; however, the surgery schedule was so backed up that these boys needed a place to stay in the interim. They were true escape artists and constantly had us refortifying their pen for safety.

Danny
Benny
Forrest
 

Spark, Joy, Kondo

Our first kittens in our new condo, these Marie Kondo themed kittens were so sweet but extremely messy at mealtimes. I can now say that I have seen a kitten swim in wet food. They basically had to be bathed and blow dried at least once a day.

Foster Kittens in San Diego

Foster Kittens from San Diego Humane Society
Spark
Adorable Kittens
Joy
Adorable Kittens
Kondo
 

Somen and Shirataki

Somen and Shirataki came to our home at 3 weeks of age. Our youngest pair, they were bottle fed every 3-4 hours, including overnight. David was out of town the first week we had them, so I was essentially a zombie doing all of the daily feedings. These girls loved being held, carried, and snuggled.

Adorable KittensAdorable Kittens 
Shirataki, in particular, was so snuggly and affectionate that she would lick my whole face while purring. Unfortunately, she contracted panleukopenia during a citywide outbreak. The nursery staff unfortunately had no choice but to humanely euthanize her. We had taken her to the medical team for some tummy issues, which isn’t uncommon for orphaned kittens. We expected to be given medicine and sent home, but were devastated and shocked upon learning of her incurable virus. If you have any room in your charity budget for the year, please consider donating directly to the kitten nursery in her honor.

Adorable KittensAdorable Kittens 
Somen, thankfully, did not contract the virus and was able to stay with a specialized foster parent until she was ready for adoption. She was adopted within a week! We were thrilled!
Adorable Kittens 

Potato and Chip

Potato and his fluffy sister Chip also came to us at 3 weeks old. Watching kittens rapidly grow and acquire motor skills and new developmental abilities is so fascinating. At 3 weeks, they cannot use the bathroom on their own or regulate their own body heat. By about week 4-5, they begin using the litter box and starting wet food in addition to the bottle. By 6 weeks, they can climb and jump, getting higher and faster with each passing day.

Adorable Kittens
Chip
Fostering kittens
Potato
Fostering kittensFostering kittens
Fostering kittens
Fostering kittens
 

Volunteer Photography

I’ve also been doing volunteer photography for the shelter for the past few months in my spare time. I am thrilled to photograph adoptable dogs’ profile photos. Having clean photos that clearly depict the dog and his/her personality plays a huge role in getting them adopted. People will come to the shelter and ask for a specific dog they saw online, so great photography is such an aid in that discovery. If you ever stop by the shelter on Mondays, you just might catch me in action!

Fostering kittensFostering kittensFostering kittens

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Wow, what adorable kitties! I’m in awe of all the work you did to foster them and get them ready and how wonderful that you’re photographing more pets to help get them adopted!

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