Animal Welfare Professionals

 View Only
Back to discussions
Expand all | Collapse all

National Guidelines for Underaged Kittens

  • 1.  National Guidelines for Underaged Kittens

    Posted 03-19-2026 09:34 AM

    Happy Thursday everyone!!!!

    I'm excited to share that National Kitten College, in collaboration with UC Davis, the University of Wisconsin, and the University of Florida, has launched a new resource for anyone caring for underaged kittens.

    This "living library" is designed to be a true game changer-bringing together the latest, evidence-based information in neonatal and young kitten care, with real-time updates as new insights emerge. It's an invaluable tool for both fosters and shelter staff working to give these vulnerable kittens the best possible start.

    We're also working on a Spanish version, which will be available soon to expand accessibility even further.

    Please feel free to share this resource with your teams and community-we're thrilled to make it available to those doing this lifesaving work.

    Living Library: Guide to Raising Unweaned & Underage Kittens

    Aflip remove preview
    Living Library: Guide to Raising Unweaned & Underage Kittens
    Created with the Heyzine flipbook maker
    View this on Aflip >


    #CommunityCatManagement
    #EducationandTraining
    #FosterPrograms
    #OrganizationalManagement

    ------------------------------
    Marnie Russ
    Founder,
    National Kitten College
    VA
    ------------------------------


  • 2.  RE: National Guidelines for Underaged Kittens

    Posted 03-19-2026 09:40 AM

    https://kittencollege.aflip.in/livinglibrary



    ------------------------------
    Marnie Russ
    Founder, Program Administrator
    Kitten College
    VA
    ------------------------------



  • 3.  RE: National Guidelines for Underaged Kittens

    Posted 03-20-2026 10:47 AM

    Fantastic resource, Marnie!  Looks incredibly valuable. 



    ------------------------------
    Ryan Howard
    CEO
    GetBuddy.com
    NY
    ------------------------------



  • 4.  RE: National Guidelines for Underaged Kittens

    Posted 03-21-2026 08:37 AM

    Thank you so much, Ryan!  



    ------------------------------
    Marnie Russ
    Founder, Program Administrator
    Kitten College
    VA
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 5.  RE: National Guidelines for Underaged Kittens

    Posted 03-20-2026 12:37 PM

    Wow!  This is incredible.  Thanks to everyone who put this together.



    ------------------------------
    Christine Best
    Accountant IV
    University of Florida College of Veterinary Medici
    FL
    ------------------------------



  • 6.  RE: National Guidelines for Underaged Kittens

    Posted 03-21-2026 08:39 AM

    Thank you!!!!!  We hope it makes fostering less stressful….



    ------------------------------
    Marnie Russ
    Founder, Program Administrator
    Kitten College
    VA
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 7.  RE: National Guidelines for Underaged Kittens

    Posted 03-20-2026 04:11 PM

    Love this! Is there a way to save it?



    ------------------------------
    Laurie Methven
    Volunteer
    Twin Counties Humane Society, Virginia
    Red Rover, Easten Region
    ------------------------------



  • 8.  RE: National Guidelines for Underaged Kittens

    Posted 03-21-2026 08:37 AM

    Hi Laurie,

    we will have a Spanish version and a PDF version available in a couple of weeks.  😻



    ------------------------------
    Marnie Russ
    Founder, Program Administrator
    Kitten College
    VA
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 9.  RE: National Guidelines for Underaged Kittens

    Posted 03-22-2026 09:59 AM

    Marnie -

    I love this booklet! Do you have it in a PDF format to download?

    Warmly -

    Marci Bowling

    Watching Over Whiskers



    ------------------------------
    Marci Bowling
    Watching Over Whiskers
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 10.  RE: National Guidelines for Underaged Kittens

    Posted 03-23-2026 06:36 PM

    Hi Marci,

    We will have a PDF version available soon!  Watch our social media -we will be posting it as soon as it is done as well as the Spanish version.

    :)



    ------------------------------
    Marnie Russ
    Founder, Program Administrator
    Kitten College
    VA
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 11.  RE: National Guidelines for Underaged Kittens

    Posted 03-31-2026 08:35 PM

    https://kittencollege.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/PDF_Flipbook_Digital_SinglePageSpread.pdf

    I just found the posting for the pdf of the booklet.  Thank you very much for assembling all the information into such a useful guidebook.  

    Gwen



    ------------------------------
    Gwen Harding-Peets
    Board Member, trapper, S/N certificate coordinator, adoption/foster coordinator
    PANT
    Dutchess County, NY
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 12.  RE: National Guidelines for Underaged Kittens

    Posted 03-23-2026 10:32 AM

    Thank you for the development of this resource, it is fantastic. Is it possible to download this as a pdf?



    ------------------------------
    Jacinta Browne
    Medical team, Board, foster volunteer
    Camp Companion
    MN
    ------------------------------



  • 13.  RE: National Guidelines for Underaged Kittens

    Posted 03-23-2026 06:40 PM

    Yes!  Watch our social media - the pdf will post soon!  



    ------------------------------
    Marnie Russ
    Founder, Program Administrator
    Kitten College
    VA
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 14.  RE: National Guidelines for Underaged Kittens

    Posted 03-23-2026 10:32 AM

    @Marnie Russ Thank you for putting together such a great collection of information. I've already shared it with our kitten foster caregivers, and will be referring to it often.



    ------------------------------
    Danielle Pickett
    Foster Care Coordinator
    Animal Humane New Mexico
    NM
    ------------------------------



  • 15.  RE: National Guidelines for Underaged Kittens

    Posted 03-23-2026 06:37 PM

    Oh wonderful!  This is exactly how we hoped it would be used......



    ------------------------------
    Marnie Russ
    Founder, Program Administrator
    Kitten College
    VA
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 16.  RE: National Guidelines for Underaged Kittens

    Posted 03-23-2026 12:27 PM

    This is amazing!! Same question, is it possible to print a pdf on this? I know some of our community folk don't have computers and info might be too small to read on a phone.  Thank you for everyone who worked on this, looking forward to sharing this with our fosters!



    ------------------------------
    Karla Mejia
    Kitten Foster Team Lead & Dog shelter care staff
    Angel City Pits Bulls
    CA
    ------------------------------



  • 17.  RE: National Guidelines for Underaged Kittens

    Posted 03-23-2026 06:41 PM

    Hi Karla,

    We will have a PDF version available soon!  Watch our social media -we will be posting it as soon as it is done as well as the Spanish version.

    :)



    ------------------------------
    Marnie Russ
    Founder, Program Administrator
    Kitten College
    VA
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 18.  RE: National Guidelines for Underaged Kittens

    Posted 03-23-2026 08:55 PM

    Thank you and to all who participated in the production of this wonderful booklet.

    Will you post the PDF version here when it is done?  

    Thanks again! 



    ------------------------------
    Jean Harman
    The Cat Sanctuary
    Eugene, Oregon
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 19.  RE: National Guidelines for Underaged Kittens

    Posted 03-24-2026 10:57 AM

    This is amazing! So incredibly well done. 



    ------------------------------
    Anastasia Peterson
    Volunteer Coordinator
    Hayward Animal Services
    CA
    ------------------------------



  • 20.  RE: National Guidelines for Underaged Kittens

    Posted 03-25-2026 06:34 PM

    This truly is a game-changer; thank you so much for putting this together! 😻



    ------------------------------
    Melanie Silva
    Foster Programs Manager
    Oregon Humane Society
    ------------------------------



  • 21.  RE: National Guidelines for Underaged Kittens

    Posted 03-25-2026 11:25 PM

    Thank you, Marnie, and everybody that put this together. These are just some really great resources for everyone. 



    ------------------------------
    BJ Adkins
    Founder/Director
    Animal-Angels Foundation
    Pinson, AL
    bjadkins@animal-angels.org
    animal-angelsfoundation.org
    ------------------------------



  • 22.  RE: National Guidelines for Underaged Kittens

    Posted 03-26-2026 08:09 AM

    Love this so much!    I have been bottle feeding newborns a week already this year and have made a bunch of changes to my procedures.    My babies are doing great and just opened their eyes.    Thank you for this information.   



    ------------------------------
    Ruth Olson
    Director
    Sumter Humane Society, Inc.
    GA
    ------------------------------



  • 23.  RE: National Guidelines for Underaged Kittens

    Posted 03-30-2026 10:46 AM

    真是个绝妙的主意！这个内容丰富、与时俱进的知识库对照顾幼猫的人们来说意义非凡。感谢您创建了这个知识库，也感谢您正在开发西班牙语版本，以便惠及更多照护者。我会把它广泛分享给我们的社区！

    English translation:  

    What a brilliant idea! This comprehensive and up-to-date knowledge base is invaluable for anyone caring for kittens. Thank you for creating it, and thank you for currently developing a Spanish version to benefit even more caregivers. I will be sharing it widely with our community!

    ------------------------------
    Rose mauve
    无
    无
    ------------------------------



  • 24.  RE: National Guidelines for Underaged Kittens

    Posted 04-01-2026 11:23 AM

    Well done! I'm excited to share this with my team. Thanks for putting this together. 



    ------------------------------
    Kallie Laity
    Owner
    Kitty Kisses Rescue of Reno
    NV
    ------------------------------



  • 25.  RE: National Guidelines for Underaged Kittens

    Posted 7 days ago

    HI everyone!  We have had a wonderful response to this living library.  We hope it has been helpful to you during this tough kitten season.   Last month we launched the Spanish version.  You can find it here.  Were will be translating all of our information into Spanish over the next year.

    https://kittencollege.aflip.in/guia_gatitos

    Happy 4th!!!



    ------------------------------
    Marnie Russ
    Founder, Program Administrator
    Kitten College
    VA
    ------------------------------



  • 26.  RE: National Guidelines for Underaged Kittens

    Posted 7 days ago

    This is amazing! I've been sharing it with our Spanish speaking fosters. Thank you so much!



    ------------------------------
    Karla Mejia
    Kitten Foster Team Lead & Dog shelter care staff
    Angel City Pits Bulls
    CA
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 27.  RE: National Guidelines for Underaged Kittens

    Posted 7 days ago

    We added a link to both in our Resource Library in the ANimal Welfare Resource Network (AWRN) which is searchable by partners using the AWRN and will soon be and AI Searchable Library. Our Pet Help Desk will be using the resources in the library to help point pet owners to resources they can use to care for and keep their pets.

    Thank you to all who made them!!



    ------------------------------
    Join The Shift To Prevention.

    BJ Adkins
    Founder/Director
    Animal-Angels Foundation
    Pinson, AL
    calendy.com/animal-angels
    bjadkins@animal-angels.org
    animal-angelsfoundation.org
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 28.  RE: National Guidelines for Underaged Kittens

    Posted 7 days ago

    Great resource! I been sharing  the Spanish version with our rescue groups and fosters in Costa Rica. I would have loved to see recipes or ideas about substitutes of milk. The reality is that access to kitten powder formulas is limited (or rare due to access or resources) specially in rural areas.  They use lactose free cow milk. 



    ------------------------------
    Kathia Duran
    Founder/partner
    Animal Welfare Fund Inc.
    San Jose, Costa Rica
    ------------------------------



Related Content