Where would you look for homes?

[insidevoice]

I have found a litter of kittens- probably about 5/6 weeks old.  They are currently living under a garbage can outdoors.  

The local shelter is a 72 hour kill shelter, so that's really the last resort.  Any suggestions for great ways to find good kitten homes?

[WaitingForKiddos]

If a kill shelter is the option I'd do everything...including sitting in front of the grocery store with a cardboard box. Facebook your friends, place an ad  in the paper, craigslist if your local group allows pets....

[insidevoice]

Sadly, that's the only option there is for a shelter.  I've put the word out everywhere I can to see what I can find.  They are super-cute little kittens, and they deserve loving homes.  If I need to, I will set up a space to foster them until we can find homes.  Our family already has two cats, and I'm not sure we can add in anymore, but we can at least get them safely away from being on the street. 

I contacted the local vet, they often assist with finding homes but they have a bunch of kittens now and though they would have taken them if they were particularly cute, "No one wants a black short haired cat." *sigh*

[lonegirl]

Ask your local veterinary hospitals.  Most will be willing to help. I know we have fostered litters through the years and found homes for them.

[lonegirl]

oops just read your last post.  Is there more than 1 hospital in your town?  Call them all.

[insidevoice]

I've called all within an hour's drive.  The one I explained about, another told me they simply are putting them to sleep and the last said they can't help.  Apparently it's a bad time of year to be a kitten. :/

I sent a couple emails out to no kill shelters, but most just don't have room.  Hopefully I'll hear back soon. Also, these kittens are just at that 'fuzzy kitten' age, and about as cute as it gets. It seems like the best time to get them into homes and keep them out of shelter environments.

I'm SOOO angry at the people who abandoned the parents of these kittens when they moved.  This is why you are supposed to spay/neuter your pets!  I can't leave them to contribute to  more and more litters down the road.  

[insidevoice]

Happy update:

Mama and kittens will be fostered together by someone in the community until they are weaned+ a couple weeks.  This person is then paying (out of her own pocket!) for them all to be spayed/neutered.  They will then go to new homes or, if none are found, will be placed in a no-kill cat rescue she works with a lot. 

Now I just have to convince DD (who was helping me today with this) that we *really* don't need a third cat. 

[lonegirl]

YAY!!

[NikonMama]

Yay!  That's so awesome you found something like that!!  Hopefully those babies will find wonderful homes.  :)  I recently had a mama cat and her five 3-ish week old kittens show up on my front porch.  I can't find anything to help me.  I have been feeding them, but I can't afford to do much more than that.  The only shelter anywhere near here is a kill shelter.  I did find a cat rescue about an hour and a half from here, but they want me to pay money for them to rescue these cats.  I just can't afford it.  It would be one thing if these were my pets that I was giving up, but they aren't.  I'm not sure what I'm going to do, b/c while they are all adorable (very cool color patterns) and very friendly, I doubt anyone will want to buy a flea covered cat. 

[insidevoice]

Originally Posted by NikonMama 

Yay!  That's so awesome you found something like that!!  Hopefully those babies will find wonderful homes.  :)  I recently had a mama cat and her five 3-ish week old kittens show up on my front porch.  I can't find anything to help me.  I have been feeding them, but I can't afford to do much more than that.  The only shelter anywhere near here is a kill shelter.  I did find a cat rescue about an hour and a half from here, but they want me to pay money for them to rescue these cats.  I just can't afford it.  It would be one thing if these were my pets that I was giving up, but they aren't.  I'm not sure what I'm going to do, b/c while they are all adorable (very cool color patterns) and very friendly, I doubt anyone will want to buy a flea covered cat. 

Ugh- so sad!  It's hard- I can understand where the rescues are coming from in terms of asking for a fee, but it makes it really hard to be a decent human being when something like this happens.  We are blessed to live in an area where we've not had to deal with fleas, but I know them all too well from living in other areas- do not like! 

We are very lucky to have found this help for these kittens.  It was amazing watching a whole neighborhood try to figure out how to rescue these kittens though- a good reminder that sometimes things work out. (Oh, and this is a litter of five as well.  I kind of want to put up a big 'Spay and Neuter Your Pets!' sign.)