North County Humane Society’s ‘Bottle Babies’ program saves newborn kittens
By Beth Giuffre
A two-week old kitten being bottle fed. All photos by Tom Lott.
Without program the babies would most likely perish
–As the only homeless neonatal rescue program of its kind in the county, North County Humane Society’s Bottle Babies Program never turns a needy kitten away, no matter how young, wild, or injured. The program age ranges from one hour to eight weeks old, with different levels of volunteer commitments. The newborn kittens are bottle fed until they are ready for solid food.
Since the Bottle Babies program began February of this year, the program has taken in 120 kittens. Three-quarters of those kittens have been bottle babies. From a one-legged kitty named Hopscotch, to a two-day-old kitten named Regan found on a King City schoolyard, all are welcome.
Sherry Chapman, a retired veterinarian assistant from Lakewood, aptly nicknamed “The Cat Whisperer” said the program is always looking for volunteers, though she raves about her compassionate, committed volunteer staff of 14.
Shelter Manager Sherry Chapman personally trains and provides educational material for each of her volunteer kitten foster parents. She has recently been fostering 22 kittens. She said they were all doing well. Chapman is like most mothers of newborns, wherever she goes, her kitten babies go. They follow her to work and to friends and families’ homes.
Chapman attributes the large number of rescues to the communities’ animal-loving nature. The abandoned kittens are mostly from feral mothers around our county and beyond. Some were found under barns and inside old sheds. Some were found by Atascadero Creek or underneath Lake Nacimiento boat covers. Others were found while unloading hay trucks.
Litter of feral kittens.
Recently a senior couple heard an interesting sound in the morning and discovered a feral cat had given birth under their bed after crawling through an open window. Another time a concerned local dog pulled out five newborn kittens from under a porch. They were injured with bites from the rescue attempt, but the North County shelter nursed them back to health.
According to Tom Lott, a NCHS photography volunteer, the North County Humane Society chalked up 287 adoptions last year. Each adoption averages about $100, but the value is double that amount, according to staff. North County’s kittens are given check-ups, treated for ear mites and fleas, microchipped, dewormed, spayed and neutered before they are ready for adoption at about eight weeks old.
“You see how fast they grow. It’s really amazing. I think kittens are more independent than puppies. And they’re super-smart. And they all have different little personalities,” said Chapman.
“Most shelters won’t take in kittens that young or distressed, with physical problems, or preemies,” Tom said, but not only is NCHS willing to take on this challenge, they are dedicated to their work. Chapman said without this program the babies would most likely perish in the elements or due to natural predators like hawks, owls, and coyotes.
After the rescued babies are taken in, warmed-up and cleaned, they must be bottle fed and ‘pottied’ every two to three hours. Chapman’s 14-year-old Pomeranian Petey helps socialize the tiny visitors who have temporarily inhabited Chapman and her husband’s large master bedroom, but her grown cat ‘Snowflake’ tends to remain aloof.
“It’s a labor of love,” Chapman said, “It is a commitment to compassion.” The purring gives her all the affirmation she needs. “A baby likes to be held. We become the moms.” Chapman teaches her volunteers to use their hands for “praise, affection, and food,” so kittens learn to associate the human hand with something good. “They make great family cats,” Chapman said, and the shelter supports the volunteer effort by bringing in seniors and youth to help play with the kittens further as they grow. Toys are used for play instead of hands so that the kittens learn to play nice. “You see how fast they grow. It’s really amazing. I think kittens are more independent than puppies. And they’re super-smart. And they all have different little personalities.”
The retired veterinarian assistant from Lakewood, aptly nicknamed “The Cat Whisperer” said the program is always looking for volunteers, though she raves about her compassionate, committed volunteer staff of 14. She says she has complete trust in them. Volunteers are never leave the shelter without thorough support, as Chapman makes herself on call for her fosters at any time of day or night. She knows firsthand what it’s like to be a baby kitten foster and is willing help them through the process.
For Chapman the hardest day for her is after the seventh week, when she must, once again, let one of her babies go, but it’s okay when she knows someone found their perfect kitten. “That’s where the payoff is,” Chapman said, “Getting all these kittens into permanent homes.”
