Winter Cat House Shelters Summer Litter

Each October, the Kitten Street Team (KST) leads a group volunteer project to build Winter Cat Houses, which are then placed at known community cat sites to provide a warm and dry space for the winter months. Recently, Kitten Street Team member Anna discovered a second purpose these shelters serve: providing a safe space for cats to care for their kittens.

A few weeks ago, a caller had reached out to the KST about a cat named Poe who had appeared at their backyard feeding station. The caller had reported that Poe was very friendly, and the plan was to place a temporary collar on her to check for a family.

However, after feeding her, they noticed that Poe entered the cat shelter that was set up last winter by KST. And, to their surprise, a tiny kitten poked its head out of the shelter door. They immediately called Anna again, who advised the caller to stay with Poe and her litter, so Poe wouldn’t move them elsewhere before Anna could arrive to help them.  According to Anna, Poe felt so comfortable with the caller that she allowed them to handle the tiny kittens. Anna soon arrived, and scooped up the kittens and mom in the carrier together. Anna shared "I'm so thankful Poe found compassionate people to help her and even more thankful she picked one of our shelters to care for her babies!" At this time, the four kittens (Bugsy, Hoffa, Griselda and Maria) and mom Poe are in foster care and getting medical attention on the road to adoption.