It’s kitten season—and we are feeling it in a big way.

Every spring and summer, shelters and rescues see a huge rise in kittens. Tiny, fragile lives are born faster than the system can keep up. Right now, one of the biggest needs across animal rescue is simple but critical: safe, loving foster homes.

At Heidi’s Village, we run the Smitten Kitten Nursery, our neonatal kitten nursery for the most vulnerable babies—those too young to eat on their own or regulate their body temperature. Kittens like “Canyon” the tiny kitten found on I-17 that was featured on local media. At the moment, Smitten Kitten is full. Every kennel is occupied, and every caregiver is working around the clock to give these kittens the care they need to survive.

This is why fosters matter so much.

When people open their homes to kittens who are healthy enough to grow outside a medical setting, it frees up space for the sickest and smallest babies who have nowhere else to go. Fosters are the reason rescue continues to move forward during kitten season. Truly, they are lifesavers.

Kitten season also reminds us of the bigger picture in animal welfare today: the need for foster support, access to spay and neuter services, strong partnerships between organizations, and financial support from our community to help offset the high expenses to care for these tiny, fragile lives. No single group can do this work alone—but together, we can make a real difference.

Thank you for being part of a community that shows up when it matters most. Every foster, every supporter, and every act of care helps give kittens a chance at a healthy future.

Before scooping up seemingly abandoned kittens, remember that mother cats often leave their litters for hours at a time while they hunt, and removing the kittens too quickly can do more harm than good.

Mother cats typically stay nearby and will return when it’s safe, and kittens have the best chance of survival when raised by their own mother, who provides ideal nutrition, warmth, and immune protection. If the kittens appear clean, quiet, and tucked together, the safest approach is to watch from a distance for several hours to see if mom comes back.

Mom’s absence doesn’t necessarily mean abandonment—intervening too soon can separate kittens from the care they need most.

In early April, a three-day-old kitten—now named Canyon—was found alone on I‑17 during rush hour after likely falling from a car engine where his mother had put him for warmth.

Miraculously uninjured, Canyon is now safe at Heidi’s Village and will soon be ready for adoption—but many kittens aren’t as lucky.

During kitten season, mother cats often hide their babies in car engines, leading to a rise in injuries on roads and in parking lots. This year alone, Heidi’s Village has already taken in 300 kittens, with many more expected. Before driving, please take a moment to check your vehicle—it can save a life.

And if you’re able, consider making a donation to help provide lifesaving care for vulnerable kittens like Canyon.