Apr 17, 2025

With Spring comes an influx of kittens found in need and sent to our shelter – kittens so small and fragile they need bottle feedings and other care around the clock to survive. Austin is at the center of innovation with caring for and saving these tiniest of lives, but we need your help to help all who need us this Kitten Season. 

1. Volunteer or Foster

From feeding and nursery upkeep to transport and data entry, there’s an opportunity for everyone in the nursery or at home. No experience required! Click here to learn more!   

2. Don’t Kit-nap 

If you find young kittens without their mom, it does not necessarily mean they have been abandoned. Their mother could be out looking for food, or finding a more suitable home for her kittens. If you find one or two kittens, mama may be in the process of moving the family and is on her way back for the others. If the kittens appear healthy, please wait and observe from a distance for an hour or two before doing anything else.

If, after 1-2 hours of observation, you haven’t seen signs of the mother, you will ultimately have to use your own judgment to decide how to handle the kittens, depending upon the litter’s needs and your time and resources. Click here for a guide graphic.

3. Donate Financially or Supplies

It costs about $60 just to get a neonatal kitten to safety and settled in our care. With an average of 255 kittens APA! saves a month, the cost is at least $15,000 and your support is critical. Click here to donate. You can also visit and purchase from our wish list here.  

4. Come to our Kitten Shower

The one time a year we open our Tarrytown nursery location(3108 Windsor Rd in Austin) to the public, join us there for our Kitten Shower event May 10th from 12-5pm! Community members are encouraged to bring donations such as kitten formula, heating pads, and blankets to the event and enjoy a tour of the nursery, silent auction with items like zipline passes, Austin Duck Tour tickets, and other fun kitten related activities for all ages – all while learning more about this first of its kind in the nation program saving the tiniest of lives right here in Austin. For questions, email [email protected]. 

Source: Austin Pets Alive