KITTEN SEASON HAS ARRIVED

Did you know?
Stray or abandoned mama cats often give birth outdoors; people find kittens in their yards or garages or
work sites, and bring them to shelters. By state law, kittens cannot be adopted from a shelter until they are at least 8 weeks old, which is when they are fully weaned and no longer need their mamas to survive. But many kittens are brought to shelters when they are less than 8 weeks old (they are referred to as underage kittens); some are brought in with their mama cat. Because the vast majority of kittens are born between April-June, and brought to shelters during those few months, shelters quickly fill up with underage kittens, and run out of cage space to hold kittens for weeks until they reach 8 weeks of age and can be adopted. Shelters are forced to either 1) place kittens in foster homes until they are 8 weeks old (IF foster homes are available), or 2) contact rescue groups to take the kittens, or 3) euthanize the kittens.

Here's where you can help: Volunteer with a shelter or rescue group to foster a cat or kitten (remember, adult cats need homes too!), or contribute money to support the animals in foster care. The shelter or rescue group will train you on how to properly care the cat or kitten, and will provide food and supplies, and veterinary care if the cat or kitten gets ill.

Local shelters are HSSV, SVACA, San Jose Animal Care Center, and the County of Santa Clara Animal Shelter. Local rescue groups can be found by searching PetFinder.com. A couple of our favorite rescue groups that take cats and kittens from San Jose Animal Care and Services -- the largest shelter in the area that fills up the quickest, and needs the most help -- are:

The Silicon Valley Pet Project (SVPP) is a rescue partner with the San Jose Animal Care Center (SJACC), Silicon Valley’s largest municipal animal shelter. SVPP rescues, rehabilitates and rehomes both cats and dogs of all breeds, as well as senior and special-needs pets, that are at risk of euthanasia. These animals may need medical or behavioral care. SVPP has no central facility, rescued pets are fostered and nurtured in volunteers’ homes in the Bay Area.

Town Cats is a rescue group that takes cats and kittens from SJACC, and also from the community, and finds them homes.  They are the leading group that takes in underage and at-risk cats and kittens.  They are a great group, and need your support.

Looking to adopt a kitten? 
Check out Pets In Need.  They are a local organization that is doing alot to help stray and abandoned kittens in our area, and they've got LOTS of kittens.

DO NOT TAKE YOUR PETS TO ALTA VIEW ANIMAL HOSPITAL IN MOUNTAIN VIEW
We urge pet owners to only see veterinarians who have graduated from an accredited veterinary school in the United States.  The United States leads the world in quality veterinary education. Veterinary schools are accredited by the by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) Council on Education (COE).   Many local veterinary clinics/practices in the San Francisco Bay area are being purchased and staffed by veterinarians who received their veterinary education at agricultural colleges in India, and we discourage our adopters from using those clinics because there have been numerous instances of poor record keeping, poor surgical technique, and insufficient knowledge of current best practices, legal requirements, and protocols. Dr. Tejpaul (Paul) Ghumman, at Alta View Animal Hospital in Mountain View, had his veterinary license REVOKED by the California State Veterinary Medical Board. Read more here