Orphan Kitten Project

This laid back kitty was rescued and adopted out by the Orphan Kitten Project. Shine on, you crazy diamond.

The Orphan Kitten Project is a feline rescue program run by the Feline Medicine Club at UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine. Orphaned and abandoned neonatal kittens under 4 weeks of age are taken in from the community and given a complete physical exam by the project coordinators. These kittens are then fostered by veterinary students who bottle-raise them in their own homes. The kittens are weaned, vaccinated, FeLV tested, spayed or neutered, and dewormed vaccinations before they are put up for adoption, usually by 10-12 weeks of age.

The purpose of this Project is twofold: 1) To reduce the feral cat population by rescuing stray kittens and de-sexing them before adoption 2) To train future veterinarians in the husbandry and medical care of feline neonates.

None of our foster kittens are involved in medical research and no healthy kittens are euthanized because a permanent home cannot be found. All kittens remain in the program until they are adopted out.

How do I adopt a kitten?

Call our Orphan Kitten Hotline at 530.752.9407 and leave a message on our machine. Calls are usually returned within 48 hours. We do not have a physical address, but potential adopters can meet kittens through individual foster parents. The adoption fee is $85 for each kitten. This fee includes the kitten's first 2 FVRCP vaccinations, spay or neuter surgery, and FeLV testing. The adoption fee actually does not fully cover the cost of raising kittens which also includes formula, food, medications, bottles, carriers, and other supplies. We thank the Feline Medicine Club for its continued support and funding this program.

You can see our kittens at the Farmer's Market in Davis on select Saturday mornings. Any questions you may have can be answered by a project coordinator at our booth.

How can I help?

We accept any monetary donations as well as any supplies such as towels, blankets, litter boxes/litter, small carriers, heating pads, etc. Please call 530.752.9407 if interested in making donations.

2008-06-03 19:39:48   I adopted a kitten (his name is Trotsky, and he is pretty cool) from the project over a year ago and had a great experiance. He was healthy and trained when I got him, the staff was friendly and bent over backward to make sure the transfer went smoothly —AndrewPeake

2008-06-04 10:12:49   I also got a wonderful kitten through this project about six years ago. I met her at the farmers market as a wee thing then visited her at the vet student's home until she was big enough to get spayed and come home with me. She rules the roost over here and we love her madly. The vet student was a great person who I enjoyed meeting. —Bean

2011-08-08 14:20:14   OKP is a fantastic program. My wife's old roommate ran the project for a while. I adopted my cat, Robin, through OKP after he was returned by a previous adopter who moved to a new home that didn't allow cats. He's ended up being the best cat I've ever had. The program is run extremely well, and the small kittens have great fosters who dedicate an incredible amount of time and effort (and sometimes money) into their care. I know at least one student who wasn't taking adequate care of a group of kittens had them taken away to be moved to a better foster home where they'd receive better care.

You also save a lot of money by adopting from OKP. The initial set of vaccinations and testing, to say nothing of the spay or neuter, normally costs a lot more than $85. —TomGarberson