We recently marked a major milestone in Los Angeles, caring for our 9,000th kitten through our Kitten Foster Program! This milestone comes during the height of feline breeding season, also known as kitten season, a time of year when shelters nationwide are overwhelmed with vulnerable, newborn cats.

Our lifesaving kitten program operates in partnership with the Los Angeles County Animal Care Centers and supports various kitten populations—from orphaned newborns, to scared kittens, to sick kittens. We can support these populations by opening our doors to people across L.A. County who want to foster kittens in need. Though we discourage people from taking stray kittens into a shelter, once they arrive, they need support from foster caregivers in order to thrive. 

This year alone, we’ve seen a huge spike in kittens in need of care in Los Angeles. Compared to 2021, we’ve seen a 41 percent increase of stray kittens under 8 weeks old arriving at the County’s seven Animal Care Centers, making fostering more important than ever. 

“This impressive milestone for the Los Angeles Kitten Foster Program reflects the unwavering dedication and compassion of our ASPCA fostering team and the local foster network,” said Matt Bershadker ASPCA President and CEO. “We’re thrilled to see thousands of vulnerable kittens receiving lifesaving second chances through this work.”

The milestone kitten, named Jalapeno, was brought to the Baldwin Park Animal Care Center at just four-weeks-old on July 13 along with two litter mates, Habanero Pepper and Ghost Pepper. Upon intake, it was noted that all three kittens had upper respiratory infections and were undersocialized. They displayed fear of people and hissed when approached, and because of their "spiciness," they were all named after peppers!

These kittens needed a foster who could medicate them without causing more stress and fear and socialize them at the same time. Fortunately, we found them the right foster caregiver and they have started coming out of their shells and have become very playful, seeking attention from humans.  

“Thanks to our dedicated network of foster caregivers these kittens are able to thrive and have a second chance in life,” said Nadia Oseguera, senior manager of the LA Foster Team program. “We cannot accomplish this work without our close partnership with Los Angeles County Animal Care Centers and support from the community, and we’re committed to saving more tiny lives throughout kitten season and beyond.”