Hello Katheryn!
New Hope (foster program) from Santa Fe Animal Shelter in Santa Fe, NM here! :) We hosted our 2026 Spring Kitten Shower at a local coffee shop and called it a "Rise & Shine" kitten shower. We had interactive stations including 1. Make a flour ring around "abandoned" kittens (stuffed animals), 2. Bottle-baby kit building and a "Stimulating practice" station that were held outside the coffee shop.
The stimulation station was cool because we used mini plastic water bottles to mimic a kitten and poked a hole in the lid, then covered the bottle with a blanket. People could "stimulate" the "kitten" and actually have water come out. Since we can't take vulnerable neonates offsite to an uncontrollable environment, we had to be creative haha. We held the event from 9-11am, but should have had it from 10-12pm instead to capture more people who were finishing with breakfast.
In the past though, we've partnered with local Breweries who brewed special "milk stouts" for us and gave us part of those proceeds! Those are popular because who doesn't love kittens and beer all in one!
Our biggest barrier is getting fosters out to our events. Many of our fosters are "homebodies" and would rather focus on the animals then attend events with people. We also find other attendance from volunteers, and the general public to be lower than we hope for. And while we advertise for donation collection of needed supplies at the events, we find most of our donation success to happen throughout the year from our daily email foster pitches.
I look forward to reading about other ideas too! Thank you :)
Abbey W.
New Hope Coordinator
Santa Fe Animal Shelter & Humane Society
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