The Animal Foundation launches Itty Bitty Kitty Committee to target shelter influx in Las Vegas
LAS VEGAS (KSNV) — There’s no doubt it’s the best job on property.
Bottle-feeding newborn kittens at The Animal Foundation.
“These are about two and half weeks old,” says Feline Program Specialist Tayler Kroll pointing to two kittens being held by employees. “This one is approximately 3 weeks.”
Trouble is that the kittens just keep arriving.
Each litter younger than the one before.
Just this week The Animal Foundation began taking walk-ups from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
People willing to care for a litter of kittens until they’re old enough for adoption.
Petronsky calls it the Itty-Bitty Kitty Committee.
“There is training involved that you do online it takes about two hours, but you do that while fostering,” he explains. “We want to remove all the barriers we can to get new fosters into the program.”
But controlling the population is a community effort.
For the past 15 years, Clark County has had a mandatory spay-neuter law on the books.
Unless a pet owner obtains a breeder’s license, all dogs, cats, and even ferrets over 4 months old must be sterilized.
“I think a lot of people are new to our community and are not aware of our ordinance,” says Lt. Alejandro Acevedo-Arechiga with Animal Protection Services. “It is a misdemeanor which is punishable up to 6 months in jail or $1000 fine but we like to remind folks and connect them with resources, so they come into compliance.”
Another solution is TNR: Trap-Neuter-Release programs.
Kroll explains how it works.
“We or our patrons go out and trap stray cats, community cats that are protected,” she says. “And it helps control populations, takes away unwanted behaviors such as spraying or fighting.”
Once neutered or spayed the cats are returned to their original neighborhoods.
The result, fewer kittens in the nursery.
Learn more about becoming a kitten foster here.