Kitten Shower Will Help Shelter Prepare For Influx Of Spring Births

BEL AIR, MD — Spring brings showers, May flowers and the kitten season.

To gear up for the influx of kittens arriving this spring, the Humane Society of Harford County will be hosting a kitten shower April 19 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Das Bierhalle in Bel Air at 119 S. Main Street.

Springtime also ushers in kitten season, the time of year when animal shelters nationwide struggle with an influx of newborn and underage kittens. The shower features games, raffles and prizes, and informative mini-workshops with topics such as bottle feeding kittens, caring for newborns and setting up your home for success. The shelter also will have adoptable cats at the event.

“Kitten season sounds cute, cuddly and heartwarming,” said Olivia Clark, HSHC’s alternative placement manager. “But when newborn kittens start coming in one after another, it can quickly become overwhelming. The kitten shower is a fun way to raise awareness of the issue, recruit new foster parents, and stock our cabinets with all the supplies we’ll need this spring and summer.”

Admission to the event is a donation from HSHC’s gift registry at harfordshelter.org/kittenshower. Items on the list include kitten food, non-clumping kitty litter, powdered kitten milk replacer and bottles. Gift cards to area pet stores and monetary donations also are appreciated. For every item brought, guests will receive a raffle ticket to win prizes.

“Anyone can become a hero this kitten season, no matter their age, ability or resources,” Clark said. “A $5 donation buys a few cans of kitten food. An old fleece blanket that’s laying around at home can keep a litter of kittens warm. Your spare bedroom can even become a safe and cozy kitten nursery.”

Last summer, HSHC took in 149 kittens that were all under the age of 8 weeks, which is the legal age at which kittens can be adopted.

“Many of these kittens had no mothers and needed to be bottle fed every 2-4 hours,” Clark added. “It’s very labor-intensive, and when there are more kittens than we have foster homes or supplies for? That’s what keeps shelter workers up at night.”

The shelter has a kitten wish list at Amazon.com, Chewy.com and Walmart.com for those who can't attend the shower in person. Donations can be shipped to the shelter at 2208 Connolly Road, Fallston, MD 21047 or dropped off on the following days and times: Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.