Taking place at Harvest Seasonal Grill & Wine Bar, the event invites supporters to donate supplies, much like they would at a baby shower.
Baby showers might be a tradition among expecting mothers, but one Mt. Laurel-based animal rescue hopes its upcoming “Kitten Shower” will become a tradition as well.
June 24 will mark the inaugural Kitten Shower for Randall’s Rescue, a no-kill and non-profit animal rescue based in Mt. Laurel and serving the surrounding areas.
That day, members of the rescue are inviting animal lovers to Harvest Seasonal Grill & Wine Bar in the Moorestown Mall from 1 to 4 p.m., where supporters and members of the public can donate “Kitten Shower” supplies from the rescue’s registry, much like family and friends would give gifts at a baby shower.
Those with the rescue are asking for wet kitten food, dry kitten food, blankets, animal nutritional supplements, animal heating pads and more, along with cash and gift card donations.
Visitors are encouraged to enjoy the food and drinks from Harvest, with the restaurant also offering to donate 10 percent of supporters’ bills to the rescue.
Those who attend the free event outside of Harvest can also meet up with fellow animal lovers, try for raffle prizes, play games, meet adoptable kittens and learn more about fostering animals with Randall’s Rescue.
Randall’s Rescue began in 2011 with Cindy Randall, who said she became deeply involved with the cause of fostering animals while working at a veterinary office and learning about overpopulation issues and the health risks posed to animals.
The rescue gained non-profit status in 2013 and can house anywhere from 100–150 animals at a given time through its fosters.
“Ignorance is kind of bliss, but working at the vet I noticed there were all these kittens coming in, and it piqued my interest,” Randall said. “I decided that I needed to do something to help them and fight for their best interest and get them homes.”
With the upcoming event, Randall said she hopes to not only receive donations for her rescue, but to educate more members of the public about “Kitten Season” and how they can possibly help as fosters themselves.
According to Randall, Kitten Season is a trying time for rescues such as hers, when cats who were not neutered or spayed begin to reproduce in great numbers between late spring and early autumn.
Randall said female cats could often end up with two or more litters, leading to many ending up in shelters that practice euthanasia.
Randall also noted every spot taken at a shelter by an additional kitten is one less spot for the animals her rescue and others will inevitably take on, and many of the animals that end up at her rescue were those born outside with significant health problems, also increasing the cost of care.
“We take on the ones that are going to cost a lot of money and the ones that need the extra care, but we’re not the ones getting the extra money such as grants or state funding,” Randall said. “Small rescues need help, even if it’s just volunteers and their time.”
Visit Randall’s Rescue on Facebook for links to the group’s full kitten shower registry, to RSVP for the event or to learn more about the group and other ways to volunteer or foster animals.
