CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA — It’s that time of year when thousands of California kitties need extra support. Kitten season is right around the corner, and with that comes an increased need for help at local shelters and rescue organizations.
We know how cute “invasion of kittens” sounds but these groups are facing huge challenges from the influx of kittens. Although incredibly adorable, kittens require a lot of care and resources. The affected Contra Costa County organizations are Community Concern for Cats, Joybound People + Pets (formerly ARF) and the Contra Costa Humane Society, according to Pet Food Express.
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During April, Pet Food Express, headquartered in Concord, is running a month-long awareness campaign to support them and 80 other local nonprofit rescues and shelters during California’s kitten season.
Wait, What’s Kitten Season?
Kitten season occurs every year, usually spring through summer, when most kittens are born, and then surrendered to shelters and rescues. This schedule is a relationship between cats’ biology, weather patterns and daylight patterns.
In other words, cats’ heat cycles correspond to the amount of sunlight each day. When there are 14-16 hours of daylight, cats produce less melatonin, which affects the part of their brain that triggers their heat cycles. This leads to marriage, and a short two months later: kittens.
Unfortunately, since all cats in an area experience the same daylight and weather patterns, they are all on a similar schedule and this is where it can become an issue. Shelters and rescues can’t keep up with the sudden influx of kittens and have started a movement to promote care, adoption, and donation before kitten season begins, to handle the onslaught of kittens. kitten
In most areas of the country, kitten season is connected to a certain time of year. While this is also true for California, the temperate climate means that kitten season can occur twice a year—usually March and June/July—or in some areas is even sustained most of the year. .
Ways To Help
Until April 28, community members wishing to participate in the kitten season campaign can go online at Petfood.express/kitten-season or visit any of the 66 Pet Food Express stores.
Pet Food Express outlines three impactful ways to impact the thousands of California kittens in need of a new home:
- Adopt! Open your home to a kitten or cat. Pet Food Express will help animal lovers find a local rescue or shelter. Plus, the company will provide suggestions on the best food and care products to support the kitten’s longer, healthier life.
- Foster. Not ready for a long-term commitment? Join Pet Food Express’ Rescue Reserves — a database of foster families — to become a foster home and be matched with a local rescue for kittens in need. When a person or family signs up, their information is available to a network of more than 139 rescue and shelter partners through the Rescue Reserves program.
- Give. 100 percent of your financial contribution goes towards purchasing supplies such as food, litter and toys for local rescues and shelters to continue their amazing work of strong foster, adopt and spay/neuter programs.
“Kitten season puts a serious strain on California’s animal rescue network from April through November,” said Megan Kniepkamp, community manager for Pet Food Express. “The single biggest way to help is through fostering. Every pet in a foster home means two lives are saved: the pet in the foster home and the pet taking their place in the shelter .”
In 2023, Pet Food Express collected and donated over $217,430 in products to these organizations. This year, the retailer aims to make an even bigger impact.
