The Humane Society for Southwest Washington needs foster families to provide temporary homes for kittens after a surge of stray felines has put a strain on the shelter’s resources.
The Vancouver-based shelter, which also has a campus in Longview, has taken in more than 850 kittens in 2025 — an increase of 48 percent over 2024 — and is currently caring for more than 315 young felines, according to a news release.
“We’re full, that’s for sure. It’s a lot, but we’re truly fortunate to have so many great volunteers and staff, so we’ll get through it,” said Sam Ellingson, the shelter’s associate vice president of communications and marketing. “But we’re eager to welcome a few more people to the team to make sure the cats have the support they need.”
Shelter employees aren’t completely sure of the cause of the increase but aren’t surprised by it either, Ellingson said.
“It’s common this time of year for us to have kittens arriving at our doorstep,” Vice President of Operations Jenn Rylander said in the news release. “We’re seeing more kittens than usual this year, and we need more foster homes to support them.”