Kaya Miller, a second-year undergraduate at UC Davis, is caring for three 3-week-old foster kittens named Anna, Elsa, and Merida. She and her roommate manage feeding and cleaning in shifts. “It’s a lot of dedication; we have to wake up every two hours, but it’s so worth it,” Miller said.
Miller volunteers with the Orphan Kitten Project (OKP), a nonprofit club run by veterinary students that has been rescuing neonatal kittens since 1988. Neonatal kittens under four weeks old need specialized care such as bottle feeding and medical attention. Foster volunteers like Miller help reduce the strain on animal shelters while providing critical care to young cats.
According to data from the UC Integrated Pest Management Program, feral and free-roaming cats make up between 18% and 49% of all cats in the United States. These populations are especially large in warmer areas like California; Los Angeles County alone has an estimated half-million feral cats.
The OKP receives notifications from Yolo County residents and shelters about orphaned neonatal kittens. “They’ll call us, and if we can take them, we will. Or we’ll help direct them to other resources,” said Hannah Rogers, a student at the UC Davis Veterinary School of Medicine and co-president of OKP.
Supported by volunteers including surgery coordinators, adoption coordinators, and veterinary advisors from the William R. Pritchard Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital at UC Davis, OKP operates without a physical facility. It relies on fosters—mainly undergraduates or local residents—to provide homes for kittens until they are adopted. At any time, there are about 20 to 30 active fosters.
Reflecting on her experience fostering as a child, Miller recalled caring for an injured cat named Mildred who was eventually adopted: “We would syringe feed him and it was a little stressful, but it was so good to just be there for him and get to raise him.”
Miller learned about OKP through friends before signing up via email to become a foster volunteer. Supplies such as incubators and formula were provided by the club’s volunteer coordinator along with hands-on guidance. “The coordinator came over and showed me how to do everything. There are just really amazing people in the program,” she said.
For veterinary students involved with OKP, fostering offers practical experience relevant to their future careers. “Even after we graduate and become veterinarians, we will see kittens in our line of work — they will pop up in the clinic, so it’s good to know how to deal with them,” said Charissa Tseng, first-year student at UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine.
Tseng serves as co-vice president of OKP where she checks on fosters, administers vaccines, organizes adoptions, and helps place kittens into new homes: “I recently had my first adoption, and it was so fulfilling to see the kitten find a loving home,” she said.
Funds collected through adoption fees go toward medical costs rather than generating profit for OKP. “It really doesn’t produce any money. [The fees] just help us break even on vaccines and neutering,” Rogers explained. Donations from groups such as the Orphan Kitten Club and Sacramento Valley Veterinarian Associate Medical Association support ongoing needs for food and supplies.
Despite partnerships with veterinary hospitals that help provide care for animals in need (https://www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/hospital/small-animal), covering medical expenses remains difficult for OKP volunteers who seek grants or donations whenever possible.
As feral cat populations increase during warm months (https://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn74154.html), demand for rescue services rises accordingly: “By high summer, we just run out of space. Our biggest limiting factor is money because we always have to keep a certain amount for medical emergencies,” Rogers said.
Looking ahead, Rogers emphasized that efforts such as trap-neuter-release programs could address ongoing challenges: “Unless you can spay and neuter mom and dad you’re always going to have more homeless kittens getting hurt from living outside… When you stop that cycle you won’t have more kittens taking their place.”
“If you have the time and ability definitely foster. Every bit makes a difference for these kittens,” Tseng added.
Meanwhile Miller continues caring for her three foster charges until they find permanent homes: “The only reason why I wouldn’t adopt them is because I don’t have the security. Otherwise I think I’d have 10 million cats,” she said.
