HOW CAN YOU HELP?
Spread the word: Convince your co-workers, family members, and neighbors to spay and neuter their pets. If money is an issue for them, offer to pay (if you can afford to) or offer to set up funding from applicable groups. Educate them on vaccinations and good pet ownership.
Volunteer your time: Each
group is different and uses volunteers differently. Most groups
need help answering phones, working at mobile adoptions, working
on special projects or events, or fundraising. No-kill shelters
need people to clean cages and work with or handle the animals.
Groups without shelters need foster homes while looking for a
new, permanent home for the animal. There are many groups, each
with a different set of personalities of personnel or volunteers.
If you don’t blend in with one
group, try another.
Click here for group listings in Los Angeles.
Click here for group listings outside Los
Angeles.
Foster a nursing mom & her kittens: If you are looking to adopt a kitten, consider taking in a mom cat and her young kittens. Several groups have placement programs available and will show the kittens and/or the mom cat when the kittens reach 8 weeks of age. Animal shelters are always looking for homes for moms with litters. This is a great way to enjoy a litter of young kittens without adding to the population explosion.
Bottle feeding kittens: This is very rewarding if you have time to
bottle feed a litter of kittens. Contact a rescue organization,
or your local shelter to obtain a litter. Shelters do not have
the facilities to bottle feed and usually kill kittens under 6
weeks that are not weaned.
Click
here for more on bottlefeeding.
Feral Cats: If you see a feral cat colony whose numbers
are growing, roll up your sleeves and get involved.
Trap-neuter-release is the best option if there is a person
maintaining the cats and if the cats are in a safe environment.
Funds exist in most parts of the country to offset part or all of
the surgery costs. Traps are available through humane groups,
veterinarians, shelters and feed stores.
Click
here for trap rental locations.
Taming feral kittens 6-10 weeks of age: They will usually become tame if handled by humans. Call a humane group to get guidance as to how to tame successfully and safely. Kittens under 6 weeks should tame in minutes/hours.
Note: feral is an environmental trait, not genetic! Once a kitten is tame and can be handled, he/she is no longer considered feral.