HUNTINGTON, WV (WOWK) — A Huntington animal rescue has been awarded a grant to help care for neonatal kittens.
The Western West Virginia Animal Rescue Alliance was awarded a $40,000 grant on Monday from the Orphan Kitten Club that will allow the rescue establish “a comprehensive, sustainable program specifically designed to address the unique challenges of neonatal kitten care in rural areas surrounding West Virginia,” a joint press release from the WWVARA and the Orphan Kitten Club said.
“This will include hiring regional kitten coordinators to work closely with regional partners at rural shelters to save hundreds of at-risk kittens who previously had little chance for survival, and to serve as a liaison among WWVARA foster homes, rural shelters and other partners to ensure that at-risk, neonatal kittens are promptly identified and transferred to appropriate care facilities.”
According to the press release, WWVARA believes it will be able to save 300 kittens ages 0-4 weeks and 300 kittens ages 4.8 weeks through the grant.
“Our goals for the project include reducing neonatal kitten mortality, increasing the region’s capacity to care for at-risk kittens, and building a sustainable model of collaboration that benefits both animals and the communities we serve,” Courtney Ross, president of WWVARA, said in the press statement. “We expect to save at least 600 neonatal kittens, creating a transformative impact on the region.”
The press release said neonatal kittens-ages zero to eight weeks are the most euthanized feline population in animal shelters in the United States and they account for at least half of feline deaths.
“The specialized skills, supplies, veterinary expertise, and overnight care they require makes them uniquely difficult to care for on-site in an animal shelter. For this reason shelters and rescues heavily rely on volunteer foster parents to assist in the care of this vulnerable population,” the press release said.
According to the press release, the Orphan Kitten Club Mightycat program strategically selects partners based on their potential to help save neonatal kittens.
“Our Mightycat partners are shelters and foster-based rescues that are truly aligned with our mission to increase lifesaving programs for kittens under eight weeks old,” Jackie Noble, Executive Director, Orphan Kitten Club, said in the release. “We’re proud to partner with WWVARA to move the needle for neonatal kittens.”
Neonatal kittens require round-the-clock care and are still dependent upon the mother cat.
“A neonatal kitten is the kitten at its tiniest, when he is newborn to 4 weeks old. When a mother cat is not around or able to care for kittens, these babies will require extra-special, round-the-clock care, which includes bottle feeding,” according to the Alley Cat Allies website.
