Peggy Adams Animal Rescue League opened its Kitten Nursery last summer in a revolutionary approach to saving lives of more newborn kittens that require 24-hour care to survive. The league is pleased to announce that it will expand the Kitten Nursery this June to accommodate the increasing number of kittens in Palm Beach County needing this type of care.
Kitten season is about to start in South Florida, and there’s a very good chance of discovering newborn kittens outside. According to Rich Anderson, executive director/CEO of the Peggy Adams Animal Rescue League, the kittens’ lives depend on what you do next.
“First, when you see newborn kittens, resist the urge to take them to a shelter. That is actually the last thing you should do. Kittens less than four weeks old have little chance of survival if separated from their mothers and taken to a shelter,” he said. “In fact, cats and kittens are the most at-risk animals for euthanasia in Palm Beach County. Most discoveries of newborn kittens don’t call for human assistance. No intervention is generally best until kittens can eat on their own. So, before scooping them up, please remember the phrase ‘Mother Knows Best.’”
The concept for the nursery came during last year’s busy kitten season. When kittens are brought into the shelter, often only hours old, the league previously had to rely on help from foster families to care for the ones that required around-the-clock care and feeding. Even with 200 foster families currently assisting the league, they needed more help to reach a higher survival rate. “Fostering is rewarding because you are literally saving lives while preparing pets for their forever homes,” Anderson said.
With the expansion, the league now has additional space for the most at-risk orphans. The nursery, which can now hold up to 80 kittens at any given time, is staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week by employees of the league, as well as dedicated volunteers — all specially trained in bottle-feeding and the unique care involved in nurturing neonates.
The nursery at Peggy Adams Animal Rescue League will save the lives of hundreds of kittens as part of the Countdown 2 Zero program to save the lives of all adoptable pets in Palm Beach County. For more information about fostering or the Kitten Nursery, visit www.peggyadams.org or call (561) 686-3663.
