Arlington Cat Clinic hosts Kitten Shower

Local shelters like The Buddy Foundation, Feral Feline Project and Second Chance Pet Adoption will all see more kittens in spring and will need help caring for them. So, for the fifth year, Arlington Cat Clinic in Arlington Heights is hosting a "Kitten Shower" during April to benefit these local groups.

"We actually started the shower early this year," said Adele Pikora, the vet assistant who spearheads the annual event. "Two moms with kittens and five orphaned kittens were rescued by the shelters, so we wanted to start early."

With a goal of helping as many kittens as possible, the "wish list" of items includes cans of Iams and Science Diet kitten food, cans of A/D, a prescription, high-calorie food that is used to start kittens on solids, as well as Nurturall Kitten Milk, a specially formulated, balanced milk replacement for orphaned kittens.

"Whole milk is not a replacement for mother's milk," Pikora explained. "The milk needs to be balanced for kittens."

New this year is "Take a Tag to Help." A $5 donation for each tag will help the shelters defray costs for veterinary care, probiotics, flea or deworming treatments. On the first day of the kitten shower, $69 of donations was received.

"Many of the kittens come in sick, dehydrated or malnourished. They need a lot of extra care in the beginning," said Pikora. "It's a huge expense for shelters; we're trying to offset that cost for them."

Items may be purchased at Arlington Cat Clinic or from PetSmart or Petco and brought to the clinic, 841 N. Wilke Road, in Arlington Heights.

For information on how you can help, call (847) 398-3355.