The kittens weren’t doin’ much sittin’ at OC Animal Care’s Sittin’ with Kittens’ adoption event.
Foster parents introduced their spring-loaded fuzzballs, hoping to pierce hearts and find permanent homes for Bosley, Annabelle, Gage and Gordy as the comical and curious creatures ricocheted off the sides of their pop-up kennels at the shelter in Tustin.
“We have a very robust program,” said Susan Westover, who has fostered about 500 cats and kittens in her 11 years as a volunteer. “But we can’t keep up.”
OC Animal Care took in more than 6,000 cats and kittens last year, said spokesperson Jackie Tran.
She said 4,490 were adopted, returned to their owners or successfully transferred to another agency, and 2,200 of the most vulnerable were placed in foster homes. According to the shelter’s statistics, 1,345 cats and kittens were euthanized.
As kitty mayhem played out at the July 23 event, a pair of Girl Scouts paid close attention to the two dozen or so animals, and learned kitten handling 101 from veteran volunteers. Ariana Alvarez, 10, of La Habra and Paloma Greene, 11, of Orange had observed first-hand the mind-numbing amount of stray cats in their community and resolved to do something.
Five months ago, the friends were seeking ideas for an action-based local project to earn them their Bronze Award — the highest honor for a Junior Girl Scout.
Ariana and Paloma — who soon will begin fifth and sixth grade, respectively — took Paloma’s mother’s advice and strolled her neighborhood in Orange to get a sense of the community’s needs.
“I saw a pack of cats in the bushes,” Ariana said. “They didn’t have food or water and were just wandering around.”
After brainstorming sessions using red, yellow and green color codes to rate each other’s proposals, the two rejected the idea of a pamphlet and settled on creating a website to promote kitten foster programs.
“We wanted something bigger (than a pamphlet) to influence more people,” Ariana said.
Their Fostering Friends informational website has rolled out. It features embedded YouTube videos about preparing for a foster animal, links to fostering sites in Orange and surrounding counties and the girls’ mission statement that reads in part: “to make a difference in the world” by encouraging fostering animals “because animals need to be loved and have a home so they don’t have to live on the street.”
“It’s also a good idea to try out an animal before adopting,” Ariana said. “You don’t even know if you like the pet.”
Paloma was already a cat person before starting the project. But Ariana, who has been friends with Paloma since kindergarten, preferred dogs, based on her perception that cats are boring.
“I discovered some cats are actually playful,” Ariana said after visiting OC Animal Care two times with Paloma.
The girls learned about “kitten season” when “free-range cats” breed at a higher-than-normal rate, often leaving litters of orphaned kittens that flood into the shelters and rescues. Many need to be bottle-fed.
On one visit they spoke to long-time foster mother Julie Nelson, who offered advice about getting a kitty playpen and making sure the animals are well-socialized so they are good with their new families, Paloma said.
“If you’re not ready to foster or adopt, you can donate money and supplies,” Ariana added. “The most needed stuff is rice socks and kitten toys.”
The Scouts already have started on the rice socks, which are heated in the microwave and placed next to the kittens to help keep them warm. Soon they will deliver a dozen to the shelter.
The girls plan on continuing their journey of helping the community.
“I think anything can come true as long as you believe in it,” Ariana said. “We started from scratch, and then we accomplished a website.”
Paloma will be getting two foster kittens so she will know first-hand the time and the patience it takes to help the cause.
Ariana’s mother, Yesenia Alvarez, a school principal in L.A. County, said being a Girl Scout has helped her daughter become more aware of her surroundings, “which allows her to be more empathetic and kind and make the world a better place.
“It gives her an outlook that it’s not just about her,” she said.
“And that’s the mindset I love for her.”
OC Animal Care will hold fostering orientation sessions for those who may not be quite ready to adopt. The kitten fostering session will be Aug. 14 at 5 p.m., and dog fostering sessions are scheduled for Aug. 12 at 1 p.m. and Aug. 22 at 5 p.m. All sessions will be at OC Animal Care at 1630 Victory Rd. in Tustin.
