Ladder of Life A Kittens Journey: Operation Grant Report

How did this grant help your organization and the pets in your care?

This grant directly supported the rescue, medical care, and socialization of vulnerable kittens in our community. As a small, foster-based rescue focused on neonatal and at-risk kittens, funding like this allows us to provide essential veterinary care including vaccinations, deworming, testing, spay/neuter, and microchipping.

It also helped us supply critical daily care items such as formula, food, and enrichment tools that support proper development and socialization. This support not only improves health outcomes, but also increases adoptability, helping kittens successfully transition into permanent homes.

How many pets did this grant help?

40

Please provide a story of one or more specific pets this grant helped.

One example is a young kitten named Sandy, who was found alone in a busy parking lot. A good Samaritan safely removed her from danger and contacted our rescue.

When Sandy arrived, she was underweight and in need of medical care. With the support of this grant, we were able to provide vaccinations, parasite treatment, testing, spay surgery, and a microchip.

After time in foster care, Sandy became a playful and affectionate kitten and has since been adopted into a loving indoor home (first photo).

In addition to successful outcomes like Sandy’s, this grant continues to support kittens still in our care, including KayTay J (second photo), a 1-year-old calico who was found in the desert during a rainstorm, huddled in a cardboard box and visibly shaking.

We immediately took her into our care, provided veterinary treatment, and placed her into a foster home to decompress and feel safe. She is now fully vetted and waiting for the right calm home where she can continue to thrive. She is housed at our PetCo partner and is listed on Petfinder. You can meet KayTay here.

The grant also helped support a litter of four neonatal kittens born outdoors to a feral mother (photos 3-6). We were able to safely intervene and take the kittens in at just one day old, where they required around-the-clock bottle feeding, medical support, and intensive care to survive. These kittens are now growing, gaining strength, and progressing through our “Ladder of Life” program toward eventual adoption.

This funding allows us to respond to urgent rescue situations, provide lifesaving neonatal care, and continue supporting vulnerable kittens through every stage until they are healthy, socialized, and ready for permanent homes.