近距离内射合集

The Animal Welfare Department is looking for volunteers to help care for hundreds of kittens expected this season.

鈥淲e obviously love our little babes but when we have so many it gets tough,鈥� said Crystal Torres, the community outreach coordinator for the Eastside shelter.

Between April and August, the shelter may be caring for around 150 kittens at a time during what鈥檚 called 鈥渒itten season.鈥� By the end of that period, the shelter has typically cared for and adopted out hundreds of animals.

To deal with the influx of fluff, the shelter relies on volunteer foster parents, Torres said. Volunteers are especially needed this year due to an unusually warm March that kickstarted kitten season a month early.

There are multiple ways to help, from working in the nursery to welcoming a litter into your home until they鈥檙e old enough for adoption, Torres said. To volunteer or foster you can register on the city鈥檚 website or call the Animal Welfare Department.

If you find kittens in your backyard, fostering at home rather than bringing them to the shelter is a huge help, Torres said. If you decide to do so, the shelter provides all the education and supplies necessary to care for a litter at home.

The city is also accepting donations for its virtual baby shower to benefit the incoming litters of puppies and kittens. Those donations, including formula, pee pads, blankets and toys, can be ordered via the shelter鈥檚 online registry or dropped off in person at the shelter.

On Tuesday, volunteer Minrose Gwin held a Siamese kitten named Esme who needed medication for an eye and urinary tract infection. That kitten, who came to the shelter alone and in need of medical care, clung to her apron, looking like an oversized ball of fluff and lint.

Gwin began volunteering in the kitten nursery more than three years ago after seeing an ad in the Journal, she said.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a nice way to relax,鈥� Gwin said.

What to do if you find kittens

If you find kittens in your backyard, your first instinct may be to scoop them up and rush to the shelter. But oftentimes it's better to take a step back and observe, Torres said.

鈥淲e want to make sure we don鈥檛 snatch up little babies too soon,鈥� Torres said.

The mama cat is often just out of sight, hunting or looking for a spot to move her litter. Torres suggests sprinkling flour around, but not on, the kittens and checking occasionally for paw prints. If there are paw prints, it means the mother is around and still caring for her little ones. In this scenario, it鈥檚 best to leave them be and bring them into the shelter around 7 weeks old, Torres said.

Kittens that are close to adoption age will eat solid food and often venture away from their mothers.

However, if you watch the litter for one to two hours and there are no signs of a mama cat, you should head for the shelter, Torres said. There, staff will provide supplies and education for at-home fostering or take them off your hands if you are unable to care for them.

If you鈥檙e interested in adopting a kitten, Torres said, fostering is a great first step to choose your animal and get first pick when the litter is old enough for adoption. Though the shelter is flooded with foster kittens, once they鈥檙e available 鈥� they go fast, Torres said.

Gillian Barkhurst is the local government reporter for the Journal. She can be reached at gbarkhurst@abqjournal.com.