Innovation Grants
Orphan Kitten Club is building and innovating kitten programs in shelters and rescues through our innovation grants. As a national leader in kitten welfare, we partner with mission-aligned shelters and nonprofits in order to move the needle nationally for the neonatal kitten population. Our advisory board of experts thoughtfully selects targeted grants that will spark innovation and advance protections for the tiniest felines.
Here are some of our innovation grant recipients:
Kitty Bungalow
Meet Zac, the newest Foster Coordinator at Kitty Bungalow in Los Angeles, CA. Thanks to the generous support of a Mightycat grant, Zac’s role has become a reality! This grant has enabled us to cover the salary of this impactful position. Zac’s responsibilities encompass the entire kitten foster population, including providing individualized support and training for new fosters – especially those caring for medical or spicy kittens. This role is also tasked with creating valuable resources for fosters, boosting foster engagement, and assisting with the intake of neonates from local shelters. Through our collaboration, Kitty Bungalow has achieved remarkable outcomes, surpassing their foster goals by a significant margin!
Indyhumane
We partnered with Indyhumane to help improve the lifesaving care of kittens in Central Indiana. Year-round” kitten season has become a reality for Indianapolis, making it absolutely crucial that they increase their capacity to serve the kittens in their community. Orphan Kitten Club provided targeted funding to help this impactful shelter enhance several aspects of its ongoing operations including foster supplies and medical necessities for neonatal kittens. This support allowed Indyhumane to make smart investments in their shelter medicine program that improved lifesaving outcomes for kittens and prevent burnout on their team! We are proud to announce that this grant has already helped them exceed their goals for helping kittens in their community- way to go!
Animal Refuge League of Greater Portland
We partnered with the Animal Refuge League of Greater Portland to provide Kitten Preparedness Kits and informational resources for kittens in Westbrook, Maine. These comprehensive foster kits provide an easy way to transport supplies from the shelter to the foster homes. They contain all the necessary components for the successful socialization and growth of underage kittens. Many of the supplies are reusable and can be used to help multiple litters. ARLGP told us “the ability to quickly pull the kits to send out to foster homes has been really useful, as well as the peace of mind of having these vital items readily available. This enabled us to get kittens out the door more quickly and was a time saver for our staff.” This funding has already impacted over 470 kittens! We are so proud to support organizations that want to make the world a safer place for neonatal kittens.
Cat Adoption Team
In Sherwood, Oregon, we partnered with Cat Adoption Team (C.A.T.) to help fund two kitten-focused positions! This $32,000 grant directly sponsored roles on their staff that dramatically impacted their pre-adoption age kittens. This support has allowed C.A.T. to grow and improve its foster program, in turn helping over 700 kittens so far!
Animal House Cat Rescue & Adoption Center
We partnered with Animal House in St. Louis, MO to elevate and expand their kitten care and programming. This funding provided them with vital equipment for the care of neonates, including incubators, warmers, carriers, and easily sanitized work tables dedicated to use with kittens! These supplies allowed them to establish a new workspace, develop specialized kitten procedures and educate their staff. This support has impacted 135 pre-adoption age kittens!
Six Kittens Rescue
Poopsie Daisies, yes, you read that right, is a program we sponsored with Six Kittens Rescue in Bryan, TX. This support provided them with necessary fecal testing, anti-diarrheal medications, and preventatives. Just a single bout of diarrhea can significantly impact the health of a neonatal kitten and, in some instances, could be fatal. Our partnership with this foster-based rescue has helped over 200 kittens!
Tiny Paws
In Stillwater, Oklahoma, we partnered with Tiny Paws Kitten Rescue to create their Whisker Wellness Center, an on-site space for medical treatment. The funds were used to retrofit their space and to design a dedicated medical room! This grant provided new cage banks, a sink, cabinets, shelving, and a fold-down exam table for vet visits, as well as incubators, oxygen concentrators, nebulizers, and other necessary medical equipment. In a subsequent grant, we helped them to expand and improve this medical center and surgery room. Their veterinarians can now perform spay/neuter surgeries on-site in their state-of-the-art surgical suites, increasing the number of kittens they can spay and neuter on a given day!
Meow Parlour
Say “Hello” to Dr. Austin! She has become an extremely valuable part of the Meow Parlor team. OKC granted funding to cover the costs of her weekly vet visits for the 2022 kitten season including diagnostics and fecals for their underage population. This has allowed them to focus on providing more comprehensive medical support to their fosters. Meow Parlor has noticed that their foster homes have recently become more comfortable taking in younger kittens knowing they have the support of Dr. Austin. This grant also provided a new housing option for their socialization-age kittens. This pen provides a safe & easy to clean space that will house kittens for years to come! We are so proud to support this impactful rescue in New York, NY.
Love Your Feral Felines
Meet Kim, the new Little Lion Liason for our partner organization Love Your Feral Felines. This position was sponsored by our Mightycat Program which granted $21,850 towards the salary of this new role. Kim is responsible for expanding their foster program, including a foster mentor program, arranging kitten placement, and much more. This role has been a game-changer for LYFF and has allowed them to save so many more tiny lives. We are so proud to create an impactful job that directly affects the kittens of their community.
Fort Wayne Animal Care & Control
OKC provided a $10,000 grant to our partner, Fort Wayne Animal Care & Control in Fort Wayne, Indiana. This funding was used to support their Fabulous Foster Fandom program to purchase incubators, a cage bank, & lifesaving supplies for their fosters. Fort Wayne’s foster program has grown tremendously in just a short period of time. We are so proud to support them as they further their work with kittens and help more foster families feel comfortable taking on the fragile population of bottle babies! After receiving this grant, the shelter has put 140 more kittens through their foster program in the peak months of April-June than they had in 2020. We love to be a part of their increasing impact on kittens in their community!
Kauai Humane Society
Orphan Kitten Club granted our partner, Kauai Humane Society, $17,000 to help expand their kitten housing & provide life-saving kitten care supplies for their fosters. This grant allowed KHS to rework an area of their shelter lobby to have new state-of-the-art cat towers to house kittens in need of a foster home. This new structure provides a beautiful and comfortable space to showcase kittens while they wait for their prospective foster parents. The kittens in these images found foster placement within hours of being in the towers! This grant has also allowed KHS to purchase the necessary foster supplies to keep their neonates healthy. Since being awarded this grant, they have had over 264 underage kittens come into their shelter and they have been able to provide their fosters with all the formula, wet food, litter, bottles, and nipples they could need. Not once have they had to tell someone they couldn’t provide them with the supplies needed for this life-saving work which is an astounding improvement from previous years! We are so proud to Support KHS as they expand their efforts to help the most vulnerable population.
Rogue Valley Humane Society
Our partner, Rogue Valley Humane Society, in Grants Pass, OR received a $25,000 grant to launch their new Kitten Nursery. This funding helped to create a new onsite neonatal kitten nursery and fund the purchase of life-saving kitten supplies and equipment. The new nursery space has expanded their capacity to provide specialized care for multiple litters of neonates. This grant has also allowed RVHS to dedicate more staff and vet tech time to attend to critical kittens and ensure that they are providing the highest quality of care. We are so proud to support this organization as they expand their efforts in having a self-sustaining kitten nursery.
San Antonio Pets Alive!
In 2021, our partner, San Antonio Pets Alive!, anticipated an increase in kittens with the launch of their new Public Intake Program. In order to prepare for this influx in kittens, SAPA! applied for funding to purchase proper housing for kittens and moms with babies. Orphan Kitten Club granted $12,500 to cover the costs of new state-of-the-art cage banks for this vulnerable population. It is very important to decrease levels of stress while cats are being housed in a shelter. This is why the kennels have portholes to connect two spaces & create an extra-large condo! This funding was also used to purchase a “play-around” kennel that offers kittens vertical space to climb and explore. We are so happy to fund this project that will help kittens for years to come!
Newborn Kitten Rescue
Our Partners, Newborn Kitten Rescue, in Scottsdale, AZ was granted $9,000 to help fund their “Ringbusters” program. This innovative program impacts one of the most at-risk groups of neonates, those who are suspected to have ringworm. Ringworm is a common fungal infection, however, many kittens are euthanized for this treatable skin condition. This funding was used to purchase the supplies need to safely care for and treat kittens with ringworm. NKR has been able to help this population with a team of specially-trained fosters who can tend to these kittens’ unique needs. Orphan Kitten Club is so proud to support this life-saving program.
Love Your Feral Felines
Love Your Feral Felines was granted $4,500 for their Kitten Campout Kits. This funding was used to purchase foster care supplies for transitional-age kittens. These kits were designed to support kittens 3-8 weeks old and include everything a foster will need to provide a living room campout setup for fostering kittens. Kittens can “camp out” in the foster’s living room with a setup provided by the Kitten Campout Kits. The goal for this project is to make fostering feel more accessible to people who may not have a spare bedroom to house kittens. These kits include a pop-up playpen, litter box, litter scoop, toys, bed, blankets, hiding tent, litter, bowls, and nutritious food. Many of the supplies are reusable and these kits will help save kittens for years to come!
Stray Paws Animal Haven
OKC granted Stray Paws Animal Haven $13,450 to support their underage kitten program. This funding helped them achieve two goals- to outfit a kitten room in their warehouse & to create comprehensive foster kits. They went from having a simple tabletop setup to having a dedicated area where they can isolate kittens, hold them overnight, and provide critical care. Their ‘Wait Till 8’ kitten kits have allowed people in their community to be empowered to foster the kittens they find. We are so proud to support this impactful rescue and the work they do to serve the kittens in El Monte, CA.
Lawrence Humane Society
Lawrence Humane Society in Lawrence, KS was awarded a $17,850 grant in order to build a kitten care system at their shelter. This funding helped cover the costs of carefully curated kitten supply kits, kitten incubators, and a Kitten Specialist Fellowship Stipend. The combination of supplies and a dedicated staff member has proven to be a huge success! We are so proud to support LHS on their pathway to improve the care that they are able to provide for neonatal kittens in their community!
LifeLine Animal Project
OKC awarded a $25,000 grant to the LifeLine Animal Project in Atlanta, GA. This funding was used to upgrade their underage kitten program! Lifeline purchased foster kit supplies, a kitten kennel to specifically help kittens with ringworm, and specialized equipment to help the most vulnerable neonates.
Newborn Kitten Rescue
We provided Newborn Kitten Rescue with a $12,800 Mightycat grant! This funding will allow them to have 2 days of vet tech coverage each week through the 2021 kitten season. Kelly, photographed here on the right, is their amazing new vet tech. We are so happy to assist with this impactful position!
Planned PEThood
Planned PEThood of Duluth, Georgia received an $11,000 Mightycat grant to help with their neonatal kitten expansion project. This funding covered the cost of supplies for kitten foster kits, a new incubator, and a bank of cages in their rescue area to house kittens temporarily while they await foster placement.
San Antonio Pets Alive!
We provided a $ 17,500 Mightycat Grant to help San Antonio Pets Alive! support the most vulnerable population they serve: neonatal kittens. This funding helped cover essential items needed for pre-adoption age kittens while they are in foster homes. This investment will assist SAPA significantly during the upcoming kitten season. They expect to care for close to 1,000 neonatal kittens in 2021!
Tiny Paws Kitten Rescue
Our partners, Tiny Paws Kitten Rescue, in Stillwater, Oklahoma received a $12,500 grant. This funding was used to enhance their Rescue Medical program and give rescued newborn kittens the best chance at survival. With this investment, Tiny Paws was able to hire a part-time Medical Coordinator and two part-time medical technicians! These extra staff members have been crucial to their rescue 2021 and will dramatically increase the number of kittens they can save.
Little Lion Foundation
Long Beach rescue, The Little Lion Foundation, received a $3,000 grant at the end of 2020. This funding allows them to have a licensed veterinarian come into their kitten nursery for 2 hours every week to provide herd health to their “little lions”. Having this support is so valuable to the rescue and has allowed them to learn so much more about caring for these tiny kittens. In early 2021, a 5-week old kitten named Penguin was found in the pouring rain and brought to LLF. Immediately, their onsite veterinarian was standing by and provided Penguin with the medical attention he needed to thrive! We are so happy to support his impactful organization in their rescue efforts.
Meow Parlour
Our NYC partner, Meow Parlour, received a $4,500 grant to cover the cost of a new incubator & life-saving kitten care supplies. Multiple litters of kittens have been saved because of this funding. They shared a story Sprinkle, a premature kitten found outside on a cold November day. She was the first kitten to come to them since receiving the grant and was, therefore, the first to benefit from the incubator, formula, and food. The first few weeks were challenging as she had developmental delays and other challenges, but despite all the odds, she thrived and is now adopted!