The Jacksonville Humane Society (JHS) is asking for the community’s help in saving the lives of underage kittens. So far in 2026, JHS has taken in 1,096 kittens.
People can help in many ways. The first is to bring kittens into their homes and raise them until they are 8 weeks old. JHS provides all medical care, along with food and other supplies. When the kittens reach the appropriate age and weight, they return to JHS for spay/neuter surgery and to find new homes.
Foster families save the lives of kittens of all ages. Some kittens are too young to eat on their own and require feedings from human helpers every few hours. Others can eat on their own and just need socialization from humans. Occasionally, kittens arrive at the shelter with their mother, and a foster home provides a safe place for her to raise them with minimal intervention. No matter the age, foster homes provide the supervision and care kittens need to survive and thrive.
JHS recommends that those interested in adopting a kitten also think about fostering. Foster families enjoy benefits such as choosing their preferred kitten from the litter when the kittens are old enough and having their initial adoption fee waived.
“This is our busiest time of year for kittens, and it isn’t going to slow down any time soon,” said JHS CEO Lawrence Nicolas. “However, there is no place like Jacksonville when it comes to helping pets in need! We are excited to welcome new volunteer foster parents to this amazing community of helpers and save even more kitten lives this year.”
Community members are also asked to remember and follow the Don’t Kitnap message to assess the situation when they find kittens, as well as to remember that “kit-napping” kittens may not be in their best interest. Information on how to help found kittens can be found on the JHS website, jaxhumane.org/pet-help/found-kittens.
Community members who are not able to foster but still want to help kittens in need are encouraged to donate kitten care items to JHS. Most-needed items can be viewed and ordered directly from our Amazon or Chewy Wishlist and shipped to the shelter.
For information on becoming a foster parent, donating or adopting, go to jaxhumane.org/fosterneeds or call 904-725-8766.
