During the spring and summer months when we start to see warmer temperatures in Rochester, unfixed outdoor cats start reproducing in large numbers. As a result, their kittens often end up in shelters like Lollypop Farm, motherless, and in need of expensive round-the-clock care by foster volunteers.
Luna Lovegood was one such kitten. Just hours old, she was found alone in a dumpster, hypothermic, and weighing only 80 grams. While it may be that Luna was left in the dumpster by someone who didn’t want her, it’s also very possible that her mother left her amongst the trash thinking it was a dry, safe place to hide her. Sadly, Luna’s mother never returned. She was brought to Lollypop Farm by a community member who heard her tiny cries coming from inside the dumpster, just in the nick of time.
Once Luna arrived at the shelter, our team immediately began reaching out to foster care volunteers to find a temporary home for the vulnerable kitten. She would need to be bottle fed and given round-the-clock care until she was old enough to eat on her own. “When I first brought Luna home, she was so tiny,” says Jessica Allen, a seasoned foster care volunteer at Lollypop Farm who has cared for over 90 kittens. “She weighed only as much as a stick of butter!”
Luna’s eyes still hadn’t opened, and for her first few weeks, she relied entirely on Jessica to feed her, help her go to the bathroom, and keep her warm and clean. In foster care, kittens also get essential socialization time, preparing them for their future homes. At 13 days old, Luna opened her eyes for the very first time!
Today, Luna is still in foster care. She’s getting bigger and stronger every day, and soon, will be ready to find a happy home of her own. There are so many ways that you can help pets like Luna! You can make a gift to Lollypop Farm, donate supplies to help foster care volunteers care for their kittens, and even make sure that your own pets are spayed and neutered, and not reproducing. Supporting tiny lives like Luna’s take the effort of a whole community, from the individual who found her in the dumpster, to the foster volunteer who cared for her, to the adopter who will eventually provide her with a home. We know Luna’s tiny meows are now saying, “thank you!”
Wondering how you can help kittens like Luna?
- Help raise money and awareness for pets like Luna when you join the Walk for the Animals at Barktober Fest.
- Meet cats and kittens available for adoption.
- Learn more about the importance of spaying and neutering pets.
- Explore our Kitten Wish List on Amazon.
