Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter is an open door shelter that never turns away a pet in need. Even if that means taking in 47 cats and kittens at the start of kitten season.

The shelter recently rescued 47 cats and kittens from a hoarding situation. They received a tip that roughly 50 cats were living in poor conditions in a small RV. The owner surrendered all the felines and the shelter is now looking for loving forever homes.

“These cats did not get the resources they needed in their previous home. We are looking for patient, caring adopters to give these kitties a great second chance at life. Adopters will need to be patient in socialization as these cats did not get a lot of that in their previous home,” wrote the shelter.

@media all and (-ms-high-contrast: none), (-ms-high-contrast: active) {
#jwVideoContainer {display: … Read the rest

1. Rest In Peace Rory Young, Co-Founder and CEO of Chengeta Wildlife

Statement from Chengeta Wildlife:

It is with deepest sorrow and regret that Chengeta Wildlife confirms the death of Rory Young, our co-founder and CEO.

Rory was leading a wildlife protection patrol in Arly National Park, Burkina Faso, on April 26, 2021, when they were attacked by terrorists which resulted in his death and that of two Spanish journalists who were capturing his efforts to protect precious wildlife.

WAN & Peace 4 Animals sends our deepest condolences, love, and healing to Rory’s family and the families of the two journalists who have passed. May justice be served!

2. Rest In Peace Dr. Elliot Katz, Founder Of Animal Welfare Organization ‘In Defense Of Animals’

Dr. Elliot Katz, D.V.M., Founder of In Defense of Animals, one of the nation’s foremost animal advocacy organizations, passed away on March 24, 2021, at

A sweet calico is so happy to have her dream come true after being rescued with her two litters of kittens.

Cornbread the kitten smallest of his litterAlley Cat Rescue

Earlier this year, Alley Cat Rescue in Los Angeles learned about the plight of a mother cat and her eight kittens from two separate litters. The rescue was able to intercept and take in the family of nine before they would have ended up in the shelter.

The calico named Tangerine was just under one year old and needed a lot of help. “We got the mom with two sets of four at different ages, all nursing,” Alley Cat Rescue shared with Love Meow.

The young mom was spread pretty thin trying to feed eight very hungry mouths. Volunteers started supplementing the older kittens, so Tangerine could concentrate on feeding her four demanding 10-day-old babies.

Tangerine the cat mom … Read the rest

A fuzzy kitten and her tabby sister won the hearts of people with their fight to live.

Wild the kitten with fuzzy hairSara Tiedeman

Sara Tiedeman, a vet tech from California, took in a pair of kittens needing critical care. “They were transferred to the rescue I work with from another organization who didn’t have a foster home available for them,” Sara told Love Meow.

Sara who specializes in neonatal and critical care kittens, took them on right away. The kittens were frail and just skin and bones. “Wild (the smaller grey kitten with very fuzzy hair) was very underweight and underdeveloped. Brave (the brown tabby) was limp and nearly unresponsive.”

She began tube-feeding the kittens around the clock to get vital nutrients into their tiny bellies. Not only did the feline sisters start to perk up, but Wild the fuzzy kitty even found her squeaky voice and … Read the rest

A tiny kitten made an incredible come back and grew to be a beautiful cat with the help of her rescuer.

Wasp the kittenAmber Spencer

Amber Spencer, a fosterer of Perth Rescue Angels, was at the vet to say goodbyes to her beloved 20-year-old foster cat Nancy, when she learned about a litter of kittens needing urgent help.

“My sweet girl Nancy is the only reason I met them that day. I decided I had to take them,” Amber shared with Love Meow. “The kittens came in from a less than ideal home through one of our local rangers.”

Amongst the surviving kittens, Wasp, a Siamese mix, was the tiniest of the bunch. She was severely dehydrated, anemic and emaciated. Despite all the odds stacked up against her, she was hanging in with all her might.

Amber Spencer

At six weeks old, Wasp was just the size … Read the rest

A litter of kittens were found nestling behind stacks of drywall. One of them was much smaller than the rest.

Kitten with a cleft lipCatsnip Etc

Animal rescuers from Catsnip Etc (in Elkhart County, Indiana) was contacted about a very elusive cat in a feral community, who just had her kittens. They couldn’t find the whereabouts of the family, so volunteers continued to provide food and water while caring for the ferals.

“We marked our calendars for four weeks after they were born and went on a search for them. Momma had over three acres, three houses and several outbuildings to hide them,” Missy McNeal of Catsnip Etc told Love Meow.

“The caretaker of this cat colony had been trying to catch her for over three years, but she was smart. We saw momma run out of a side garage and went to investigate.”

After looking everywhere, they were … Read the rest

A kitten can finally see with his beautiful blues after being nursed back to health along with his sister.

Grogu the kitten cuddling with Foster DadPatricia Lika

Patricia Lika, a fosterer based in Las Vegas, was contacted about two tiny kittens desperately needing help. “They were found by a Good Samaritan without a mom in sight and brought in to the rescue, so they could receive proper care and a chance at life,” Patricia told Love Meow.

Without the presence of a cat mother, the kittens, about one week old, needed to be kept warm and bottle fed around the clock. They were named Grogu (white) and Princess Leia (tuxedo), and huddled up together in the comfort of their warm bed.

A few days later, Patricia began to notice that both kittens had issues with their unopened eyes.

Grogu and Leia the kittens after being found outsidePatricia … Read the rest

Two kittens were brought to a foster home for a chance at a better life. The little tortie quickly discovered her inner sass.

Bloom the tortie kitten with a cattitudeJennifer @newkittensontheblock

Flower and Bloom, a ginger and a tortoiseshell, came to IndyHumane (an animal rescue in Indianapolis, Indiana) along with their cat mom and litter mates. When the mother was too stressed to care for her babies and ready to find a good home, the kittens went into foster care.

Around that time, Jennifer, a foster volunteer of IndyHumane, was caring for a little singleton named Blossom, who recently lost her brother. She hoped to find a feline buddy her size, so the kitten could have a friend to play with.

“Since Flower and Bloom are about the same age, they fit the bill,” Jennifer told Love Meow.

Flower and Bloom the two kitten sistersJennifer @newkittensontheblock

“They … Read the rest

An adorable cross-eyed kitten found his way from living as a stray to being with a loving foster family.

Biglou the cross-eyed kittenChatons Orphelins Montréal

A cute cross-eyed kitten, Biglou, started out as a stray wandering the streets, day in and day out. A resident from Montreal, Canada took him home along with many other homeless cats, but she ended up needing a lot of help for them.

Biglou was then rescued and placed in a shelter, anxiously hoping someone could come scoop him up. Whenever someone passed by his kennel, he was eager to get their attention.

Chantal, a local animal rescuer, contacted Chatons Orphelins Montréal, so the cross-eyed kitty could have a chance at a better life. “We took him on right away. Chantal rescued almost all the cats, and helped get them into foster care through different rescues,” Celine Crom of Chatons Orphelins Montréal shared … Read the rest

A tiny kitten captivated people’s hearts with her endearing personality, and blossomed into a beautiful, fluffy cat.

Lilo the kittenLaura Malone

When Laura Malone, director of Mini Cat Town (a cat rescue in San Jose, California), was contacted about three kittens that needed help, she sprang into action.

The trio (Lilo, Stitch and Nani) were just a few weeks old when they were brought to the rescue. They were very underweight, had an upper respiratory infection and needed a lot of TLC. “They have been named after characters from my favorite Disney movie,” Laura shared.

Lilo, the runt of the litter, showed a strong will to live despite being so tiny. The kittens were placed in an incubator, and their foster mom Laura began feeding them and caring for them around the clock.

Laura Malone

While Lilo’s siblings were making great gains on their weights, she had a … Read the rest