Tweenie Heart-tugging Time!

Altogether now… awwww. No doubt about it – these tiny Tweenies are cute. But they need our help to grow up just a little bit more until they’re old enough to be adopted. Tweenies are so named because they are beTWEEN the age of 4 and 8 weeks.

“These babies aren’t to be confused with the newborn kitties which need to be bottle-fed round-the-clock,” said Animal Services Director Dawn Danielson. “Tweenies are at least four weeks old but they do need to be nurtured outside of the shelter in a safe, loving home to give them every chance possible to be adopted.”

And that’s where Animal Services is hoping you can come in. It needs some good, trustworthy employees who can act as foster parents for a period of one to four weeks, or until these babies are over two pounds.

Once they reach that weight or two months of age, these kittens will be old enough to return to Animal Services where they will be neutered or spayed, microchipped, vaccinated and placed in the adoption program. Usually they get snapped up right away because yes, they are adorable, but the kittens are also used to being around people. These fostered fur balls are friendly and like to play. Adopters like those traits in a kitten!

The Tweenie foster program isn’t new. The program started in 2007 with 36 foster parents and 125 Tweenie kittens. Last year, 100 foster parents cared for 750 babies. This year, the shelters have already seen 632 Tweenies come in the doors and foster parents on the Tweenie list have already been tapped.

If you’re tempted, it’s easy to become a foster parent. Animal Services gives you kitty food, bowls, toys, litter, bedding and of course kittens! You’ll need to take at least two because they need companionship of their own kind. You just need to provide the home, the care and snuggles. Fill out the application and you’ll be on your way.

If you happen to fall in love with your Tweenies, you’ll get the first chance at adopting them. Yes, that means you failed the foster program but Animal Services won’t be the least bit disappointed. In fact, it will probably keep you on the Tweenie foster list!

Maybe you love kittens but can’t possibly foster them. You can still help out. Animal Services has a new kitten nursery at its facility on Gaines Street just for Tweenies waiting for foster parents. Staff can always use a hand there or at any of the department ‘Kitteries’ with cleaning, feeding, weighing or if you’d rather, just plain playing and cuddling with these furry felines.

Either way, you can make a big difference by giving these Tweenies the head start they need to start new and happy lives in their forever homes.