It's Tweenie Time Again!
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Teeny, tiny, Tweenie kitties are about to take over our animal shelters and the Department of Animal Services (DAS) needs volunteers to foster them until they’re old enough for adoption. Volunteers as in you as trusty, responsible County employees!
These kittens are called Tweenies because they fall beTWEEN the ages of four and eight weeks. They're not to be confused with the newborn kitties called neonates which need to be bottle-fed round-the-clock. All these little ones typically bury DAS under what it calls “Mt. Kitten” this time of year.
So DAS is sending out an SOS to County employees again this year to help them with the Tweenies to get out from under all that kitty fur!
DAS turns to County employees because they have proven to be wonderful foster parents of Tweenies in the past. The department goes out of its way to make it as easy as possible. It provides food, litter, litter boxes, toys, beds, and of course…the main ingredient…kittens! All shapes, all sizes, all personalities. All you need to do provide is a safe environment, lots of human contact and love.
No bottle feeding is required but foster parents must take at least two kittens because these babies need the companionship of their siblings.
Your stint as a foster parent lasts until the kittens reach eight weeks of age or weigh two pounds. At that stage, the Tweenies go back to the department where they are neutered/spayed, microchipped, vaccinated and placed in the department’s adoption program!
Tweenies usually are adopted out quickly because, of course they are cute, but they are used to people, want to be with people and it shows. That’s how you make the difference.
Now if you happen to fall in love with your Tweenies, you’ll have first dibbs at adoption. The most difficult thing for some foster parents is letting the kittens go!
So if you’d like to help with Mt. Kitten this year, please email our Tweenie Coordinators at any one of the three shelter locations below.
Some furry felines will surely thank you with loud purrs and maybe a sandpaper kiss or two!
NORTH COUNTY REGION (Carlsbad)
SAN DIEGO REGION (Gaines St,. Mission Valley)
Kimberlee.Tardy@sdcounty.ca.gov
SOUTH COUNTY REGION (Bonita)
