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Our Mission:"KitnHevn, Inc. a 501(c)3 not-for-profit charitable organization, is dedicated to the welfare of all cats, both purebred and domestic, and to providing them with educated, caring, and permanent homes.""They all take a piece of our hearts when they go to their permanent homes but it is such a joy to hear how happy they are with their new family!..." Tani Scott, founder  How You Can HelpBe An Angel: Help Our Homeless CatsKitnHevn Rescue is slowly and carefully assembling a team of people who care about cats and want to help. Some of the volunteer opportunites with KitnHevn are simple, and require minimal work, while other opportunities are more complicated. Either way, the work is rewarding when we achieve our goal of helping cats in need. There are many rewarding and fun ways to help our cats:
KitnHevn, Inc. 130 N. Nova Road, #135 Ormond beach, FL 32174  Or you may donate via Network for Good: 
Please email us if you have any questions Info@KitnHevn.org Thank you! Back to topFostering For UsKitnHevn Rescue, a not-for-profit charitable organization, is an all breed cat rescue. We are looking for responsible and loving individuals and families to become foster parents.Many of the cats we take from kill shelters are in need of foster parents to show them love and affection while they wait for their new forever homes. If you have a place in your heart for a homeless cat, please consider becoming a foster parent. You'll Need:
We'll Provide:
In return for your time, you'll know that you're making a special difference in a cat's life as it waits for its transition from homelessness to happily ever after. Fostering is quite possibly the hardest job you'll ever love to do! Please click here to email a request for a foster application. The application does not obligate you to foster. A volunteer from KitnHevn will contact you with more information. Back to topOur Wish ListCan you find any of these items to donate to us?Cleaning Items:
Cat Care Items:
Office and Tech Items:
Other Items:
Back to topFinding a New Home For Your CatPeople contact us frequently, wanting us to take their pet cat. These requests come for a variety of reasons, and there are times when we can help and times when we cannot.In addition, each of our regional locations must handle things differently, depending on the trends that occur in the area. For example, in Florida, we have a strong need for shelter rescue, while in Ohio, we see more need for rescue from individual owners. For that reason, we have developed policies that vary from one area to another. You will find a general guideline to our policies in each area below. If, after exploring the policies in your area, you find that we cannot take your cat, you will want to visit our last section, "Steps to Finding a GOOD Home For Your Cat" for guidance on how to find your cat a GOOD and LASTING home. Our Florida Intake Policies ORPHANED KITTENS: SHELTER ADULTS: OWNER SURRENDER: Steps to Finding a GOOD Home For Your CatGetting Your Cat Ready For Placement:
Finding Potential Adopters:
Saying Goodbye:
Back to topWhy Should I Adopt From a No-Kill Rescue?When talking to potential adopters, we sometimes hear these words: "Well, I should adopt from a humane society, not a rescue, because the humane society cats will be killed if they are not adopted, but your cats are already safe!"We believe this is a failure to realize the true cause and effect of rescue adoption. Our foster homes are always kept full. We don't euthanize cats just because we are full or because their "time limit has expired". However, each time one of our cats is adopted out, another one immediately fills that space... and that incoming cat was in danger of being euthanized. So, when you adopt from us, you save the life of the next cat waiting to come into our rescue! Our cats often come from humane societies where they were caged. The cages are small, and the cats are frightened. They hear dogs barking, kennel doors clanging, small children in the hallway, other cats making noises, and this stresses them.  Marble was shy at the shelter. In some shelters, the cats are in a "community cat room", where they have had to interact with a large group of cats that are strange to them. Because the shelter environment is stressful, it's hard to predict how the cat will behave in your home. Cats entering KitnHevn Rescue are quarantined in an intake home. They receive medical attention, and relax and recover from the stress of the shelter. Their behavior is evaluated as they relax. Once the cat is introduced into a foster home, final evaluation of the cat's health and behavior in a true home environment can now be done. This ensures that our adopters receive a cat that is healthy, and one that will fit their home and lifestyle.  Once in a foster home, Marble became happy and friendly. Our "failure rate" - the rate at which newly adopted cats are returned to their shelter or rescue - is very low. Our adoptions are successful because the cat is fully evaluated for behavior and health, and has been given the best of care, in a low stress home environment. Our process takes a little longer than the "take em in, move em out" philosophy that is necessary at some shelters, but this means that you are more likely to have a good experience with your adopted cat. Some cats live a "revolving door life" in which they are repeatedly surrendered to a shelter, find a new home, and are then surrendered again because of some problem that is not being addressed. This syndrome is sad for the cat, and unpleasant for you. At KitnHevn Rescue, we strive to do quality rescue and adoptions, so that our adopters and their cats can live a quality life together in happiness! Back to topThe Story of GhostOn Sunday, April 20, 1997, Tani Scott of KitnHevn Rescue, met with a woman who cares for several large feral cat colonies in her area of central Florida. The woman led Tani to a nest of kittens that she had previously located, which were in a depression in the ground under a group of bushes.As Tani and her friend looked into the nest, they found the body of a dead kitten. The kitten had been killed by a feral male cat. Feral males often kill kittens that were not sired by themselves, in order to claim a breeding territory. Tani's friend removed the dead kitten from the nest, and together, the two women examined the remainder of the litter. Two kittens were un-injured, but one kitten was severely injured, and was in shock. Tani carried the injured kitten inside her shirt to warm him. Several hours later, she met her vet, when he came to his clinic to check and clean the kennels. In addition to his severe injuries, the little kitten was in typical condition for a feral... he was dirty and full of fleas. Because he had clung to life, but was as insubstantial as a ghost, Tani chose "Almost a Ghost" as his name. 
Ghost's injuries needed cleaning daily and he was on antibiotics. Tani, who was still learning how to deal with this kind of injury, took Ghost to the vet every day to have the wounds cleaned out - Including Sundays! Tani's vet was good about letting her come in when he had to be there to take care of the hospitalized animals. Like most orphans, Ghost thought of Tani as "mom" because she was the one that fed and cared for him. The tough little kitten slowly healed up - spening quite a while on Tetracycline to get rid of the infection in his wounds. Once the injuries healed the only thing different about Ghost is that he walks funny. His scapula seems malformed. The vet never could determine whether the tomcat attack had broken something that had healed wrong or whether there is a congenital defect.
When he walks, Ghost's left rear foot is out of sync with the rest of his feet so he walks with a strange gait - he picks up the back foot, pauses briefly then picks it up a bit more before stepping forward with it. Ghost loves to "yank the chain" of the other cats. He likes to start something with one of the other cats, get an arguement started between two others, then walk away. And you would SWEAR you can see him chuckling to himself! He and Thomas (another bottle baby who has a heart condition) are pals and always seem to be hanging out together. Thomas lies under the end-table and Ghost lies on the table. Ghost reaches down and bops Thomas on the head - like a kid picking on his little brother - just to get a reaction. He sleeps with his head up on something - he likes to sleep next to the step of Tani's sunken living-rrom, so he can put his head on the upper part. He also puts his head on a pillow. Tani guesses it is more comfortable for his back that way. Back to topOrphan Rescue KitnHevn Kitten Orphanage, located in Ormond Beach, Florida, has taken in, raised and found loving homes for more than 100 kittens in the last six years. Most of the kittens that come to us are from feral colonies. Usually, they have lost their mothers to dogs, cars or disease.
Some have been injured by tomcats that attack nests of kittens in an attempt to remove future competition and the offspring of other tomcats. This is Ghost who was almost dead from a tomcat attack when we found him. We put him back together but he walks a bit funny and we couldn't find just the right home for him, so he is now a permanent member of the family. Some orphans are ignored by mothers who are too young to understand how to care for babies. People in the area who care for feral cat colonies will find these poor little babies and bring them here for care. We have gotten kittens that still have the placenta attached! 
This little girl came that way. Her mother was just a baby herself and didn't even realize she was dragging a newborn behind her by the umbilical cord. This picture shows her in her incubator. As soon as the incoming kittens are cleaned up and vet-checked, the task of hand-feeding them begins! We feed them kitten glop, a special recipe that works well and promotes the best growth. At 3 weeks old the kittens are trained to a litter box. It always amazes me how fast they learn this. In just a couple of days they are consistently using the small box and graduate to a full size box within 2 weeks. At 4 weeks we start weaning. The Glop is so good it can be hard to wean the kittens off it. And every kitten learns to eat differently - some figure it out immediately and are very neat; some take a week to figure out how to bite and chew; some have to swim in the dish and get more on the outside than on the inside. 
Our return for all the 2am feedings is when they are 6 to 8 weeks old. At this age they are using the box, are neater about solid food and are starting to explore. Everything is a toy. They are allowed into the rest of the house to get used to people, house noises and other cats. 
At 8 weeks old we start looking for loving homes. Some of the orphans will stay with us for several months until we find just the right family for them.   If you have any MORE questions about raising an orphan kitten or you would like to adopt an orphan, please contact me, or get the advice of list members on our e-mail list! Back to topHere's the KitnHevn Glop RecipeWhen the kittens get here they are cleaned up and health-checked. For the first 2-4 weeks they are kept away from other cats and kittens to be sure they do not infect each other. They are fed "Kitten Glop." This formula grows very nice kittens with fewer problems than we have had with commercial formulas (and A LOT cheaper). If you do not have all the ingredients handy, goat's milk diluted with water or Pedialyte is a good start. Kitten Glop
You will need the following supplies to make this: This will keep in your refrigerator for 7 days.... don't panic when you open the refrigerator and find you have gelatin milk...because that is what happens to it. I take what I need out, warm back to its liquid state in the microwave and serve to the babies. They love it. I have had no diarrhea, refusal to drink formula or other side effects from this. For longer storage, freeze in ice cube trays. Two cubes fill a 2 oz kitten bottle. Back to top[Home] [Information] [Shelters] [Search] |
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