Adopt and Rescue

Mother-Daughter Superstar Fosters Approach 100th Foster Animal

Meet Tiffany and Jeanne, the mother-daughter duo, who have fostered dozens of bottle babies! These two superstar fosters have fostered 89 animals in total. That’s incredible!

Of those 89 animals, they’ve had 2 mama cats, 8 older kittens, and 3 puppies, with the remaining 76 all being bottle babies. In addition to fostering these 89 animals, they constantly help out when other fosters are out of town. That’s a lot of fostering!

Tiffany and Jeanne learned about Planned PEThood of Georgia years ago, when Jeanne, the mom, was driving by and saw an opening sign outside our building. She stopped by to ask if we took volunteers. That’s when it all began.

One February during an extremely prolific kitten season, when Tiffany was volunteering at the front desk, someone dropped off a solo bottle baby at the front door and drove away. Elizabeth, our Executive Director, started calling all of our bottle baby fosters, desperately searching for someone to care for this bottle baby. While Elizabeth was making these calls, another staff member was showing Tiffany how to feed the bottle baby. Her mom walked in and asked, “What’s that?”. Tiffany explained the situation and her mom said, “She’ll take her.”. And so, they brought home their first bottle baby. That’s when their fostering all began. Another litter showed up the next day and their first bottle baby suddenly turned into three.

A few years later, Tiffany and Jeanne switched over to fostering bottle babies full-time. Bottle babies are a tremendous amount of work, but over the years, they have created the perfect system. Jeanne takes the day shifts and Tiffany covers the nights. This way no one loses sleep. They even have their own incubator at their home for the bottle babies.

Natsu, one of their foster fails

Not only have Tiffany and Jeanne helped dozens of animals find their forever home, but they have also adopted several animals of their own. That first kitten they ever fostered was their first foster fail and became a permanent part of their family. These two do more than fostering. Jeanne constantly helps out with our Wednesday shelter days as a part of our Go Fix Georgia program and Tiffany does bottle-feeding demonstrations at various events for Planned PEThood.We asked Tiffany a few questions about her experience fostering with Planned PEThood of Georgia. Below are her answers.

Why do you continue to foster with Planned PEThood? Planned PEThood keeps calling us with kittens!

What is your favorite part about fostering? The reward of seeing a little 80g bean grown into a lively kitten and go to a forever home.

What advice do you have for someone interested in fostering? Think of being a foster like being a Kindergarten teacher. You provide the education and nutrition until they graduate to their new homes. Yes, it is hard to let them go, but there’s a new class waiting for the same opportunity to grow! Every cat that ‘graduates’ means another you can save after that!

What do you get out of fostering with Planned PEThood? I get a lot of purpose out of fostering. I’m disabled so that limits a lot of options in employment. Working with animals gave me something meaningful to do with my time. I got inspired by some of our medical challenges with the little ones to go to Vet Tech school, so I could do better and save more kittens. Turns out that my disability is a barrier there too, but I might be able to be a Vet Assistant. Fostering has also inspired me to look into building my own neonatal nursery. I hope to continue to work through Planned PEThood if that ever comes to fruition. 

Volunteers and foster parents are vital to our success. The animals depend on our efforts to place them on solid ground. If you have even a tiny bit of time to spare, a unique talent or trade to offer, or a spare bathroom/basement to occupy, consider contacting Planned PEThood today. 

Apply to become a volunteer.

Apply to become a foster home.

If you have any questions about fostering, email foster@PEThoodGA.org

If you have any questions about volunteering, email volunteer@PEThoodGA.org

Fostering and volunteering are rewarding experiences. Your life will be filled with more hair, but your heart will be happy!

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How to Prevent Kitten-Napping!

Kitten Season is here, and it is in full swing! Spring marks the beginning of Kitten Season, where outdoor female cats continually go through a heat cycle, giving birth to dozens of kittens. It’s not unusual to find kittens or a single kitten seemingly abandoned by the mother. While it can be tempting to scoop them up and bring them indoors, it’s important to know that this is almost never in the kitten’s best interest. 

So, what should you do if you find a litter of tiny kittens?

Leave them be, but keep an eye on them!

Even if you see the kittens alone, it is more than likely their mother is nearby. Do not assume that the kittens are abandoned just because you do not see their mother. She may be off searching for food, in the process of moving her babies from one location to another, or hiding nearby until you leave. A mother cat is the kittens’ best possible caregiver and the best chance for survival, so please LEAVE THEM BE! Mama cats are resourceful. There is a reason they survive cold temperatures and continue to breed. They find warm spaces to keep their babies, and they know when their babies are in danger. Taking kittens who are not weaned away from their mother puts the kittens at greater risk.

While it can be hard, walking away is often the best thing to do. As long as the kittens are safe for the moment and you can come back to check on them within a few hours, leave the kittens alone. 

If there is a mama cat, it’s best to leave the kittens with the mom until they’re weaned. If you want to help mama cat and her kittens, you can help make them more comfortable as mama cat cares for her kittens. provide regular food and water, an outdoor shelter to create a safe space, and peace and quiet to avoid causing stress. Just make sure to pick up the food at night so it doesn’t attract predators. 

Unless the kittens are in danger from other animals, traffic, weather, etc., it’s best to leave the kittens outside with the mama cat. 

When the kittens are older, you can help them find homes, but not until they are able to eat on their own. Cats can get pregnant as young as four months of age, so it’s ideal to get the mama cat and her kittens spayed/neutered as soon as possible. Our Keep the Mama, Not the Drama Program, thanks to Orphan Kitten Club, offers free spay surgeries and vetting for mama cats while the kittens are placed in foster or adoptive homes. 

If the kittens are indeed orphans, it’s best to act quickly because young kittens are fragile. If you or someone you know is able to provide foster care, a local rescue, like Planned PEThood, can give you tips, tricks, and even supplies to help to care for the kittens. Keep in mind that kittens can be a significant commitment for you, especially if they are unweaned. Local rescues, like us, might have lifesaving programs and foster programs that can help provide care for the kittens. Many shelters cannot take in young kittens since they do not have the resources to provide bottle-feeding or other 24-hour care. It’s best to contact the rescue or shelter before arriving at their location. 

Remember, most kittens are not abandoned by their mother. Before you move the kittens, leave them be and wait to see if the mama cat returns. You can drastically help kittens by being educated, knowing when to take action, and getting involved when help is needed! 

Use this helpful guide to determine how old the kittens are.

Here are some tips on how to care for mama cats and kittens.

Read these tips on how to care for neonatal kittens.

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Walton County Residents and Their Pets Get the Help They Need at Our First-Ever Walton County Outreach Event

Our first Walton County Outreach event was a complete success! On January 14th, 171 pets received much-needed assistance in Walton County. Planned PEThood’s outreach team, Go Fix Georgia, teamed up with Walton County Animal Control and Best Friends Animal Society to provide free vet care and supplies to pet owners in need. In total, we were able to help 123 dogs and 48 cats and provide:

  • 137 rabies vaccines
  • 150 distemper vaccines
  • 158 microchips
  • 120 spay/neuter vouchers

These events ensure the wellness of pets in the community and reduce overpopulation through free spay/neuter. The need for outreach events like this was obvious as people lined up early in the brutally cold morning. There were two urgent medical cases mixed into the crowd. Just days after the Walton County Outreach event, our vet team was able to perform two lifesaving surgeries. These kitties and their owners would not have gotten the help needed without the outreach event. Watch the video below to hear more about their incredible stories.

So many amazing organizations and volunteers came together to help make this event successful. THANK YOU ALL! Our Go Fix Georgia team could not have done it without our event sponsor, Best Friends Animal Society, or without the assistance of Walton County Animal Control. We hope to work with Walton County Animal Control to help more pets and people in Walton County in the future.

Event Sponsor: Best Friends Animal Society

Other Assistance Provided By:

Walton County Animal Control

Atlanta Humane Society

Petco Love

Bissell Pet Foundation

GA Department of Agriculture

Fi Nano

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Miracle FIP Adoption Story!

Piper, our FIP warrior kitty, found her forever home in time for the holidays! 

Piper was rescued earlier this year at 7 weeks old. It was a very typical rescue story. Her mama was an outdoor cat and by the time the family was found, there were only two kittens left. They both entered a foster home and began preparing for adoption. Then in August, Piper was finally adopted and was off to start her new life at her forever home. Everything started out perfect until her tummy started to grow and she became very ill. Her adopters were extremely concerned and reached out for help. Once Jess, our Adoption Manager, laid eyes on her, she knew something was wrong. 

Piper’s abdomen was filled with fluid and she was losing weight rapidly. Her adopters decided to surrender Piper back, as that was the best option to get Piper the care she desperately needed.

Our medical team examined her and diagnosed Piper with Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP), a viral disease of cats caused by certain strains of the feline coronavirus. There is no test or prevention for this disease. Once a cat develops symptoms of FIP, the disease is usually progressive and results in death in nearly every case. 

Until recently, FIP was considered to be a non-treatable disease. However, there is a newly developed treatment that is having success. We have seen it with our own eyes. Inky, another cat in our foster care, went through the treatment and is thriving today. The treatment is very expensive and difficult to find. Luckily, with the generous support of our donors and supports and a $3,000 grant thanks to Kitten Lady and Orphan Kitten Club, our vet team was able to get their hands on the treatment for Piper. Without that treatment, Piper might not have survived. 

Piper went through 80 days of injection treatment and was a champ the whole time (as long as she had some churu tubes). Within 40 days of treatment, the fluid in her abdomen dissolved and she was starting to get back to her playful, spunky self. Her amazing foster mom and our dedicated vet team continued to monitor her, checking her weight and blood work, throughout the 80 days. 

At the end of her 80 treatment period, Piper was doing fantastic and healthy and she still is! Today, Piper is about halfway through her 80-day observation period just to make sure everything continues to go great. Her journey has been a true miracle! 

Piper found her forever home in time for the holidays. Her new adoptive family had recently lost their cat to kidney disease and the younger daughter was longing for another cat. The mom, dad, and older sister adopted Piper as a Christmas surprise for the younger sister. Piper has a zest for life and this family totally gets her. She’ll be spoiled rotten and receive LOTS of love and attention. 

Happy life Piper! We wish you the best life at your new home!

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The Rescue World is Small, We Have to Stick Together!

Planned PEThood is helping keep 22 cats safe after a burst pipe at Barrow County Animal Control this Christmas!

The day after Christmas we received a call from Barrow County Animal Control’s director. Their pipes had burst, causing damage to several rooms in their shelter and leaving them without running water. They needed to move all their animals out of the shelter ASAP!

When we got their call, we were more than happy to help. Fortunately, our barn cat room was temporarily empty so we had lots of room for their kitties. 

Barrow County was able to transport their 22 cats to our Duluth clinic where they were met by staff, volunteers, and board members who all stepped up to help get these kitties off the van and settled into their area. We are so thankful for all who stepped up to help these kitties out! (especially on our day off when our clinics  and offices were closed)

While the original plan was to keep these kitties with us for a few days, giving Barrow County time to work on repairing water damage from the burst pipes, things changed! We are now bringing 8 cats into our foster program and 4 cats into our working cat program. These kitties will go through their quarantine period, receive any vaccines or spay/neuter surgeries needed and then start their search for their forever homes. The remaining cats will be sent back to Barrow where they will be adopted. 

Plus, our friends at Java Cats helped placed one of the senior kitties in a new adoptive home. The kind adopter had been thinking about adopting a kitten to keep her 11-year-old cat company when she saw a posting on Java Cats about the senior cat and instantly fell in love. 

While the cats from the shelter are currently safe, they are in desperate need of placement for the remaining dogs in their shelter. 

Please reach out to them if you can help by fostering or pulling if you are a licensed rescue agency!  kpoe@barrowga.org 

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Third Time is the Charm for Westley

It’s been quite a journey for Westley, but he finally found his perfect forever home (again)!

Westley came back to us in March 2022 after nearly five years with his parents. He was adopted as a kitten, and sadly his sweet owners both passed away from COVID. 

As if that wasn’t sad enough, he had several different medical issues that needed immediate attention including a heart murmur, kidney issues, and a mass in his throat. At first we thought the mass was cancer and he would be a hospice case.

The mass in his throat needed evaluation, and he ended up visiting the UGA Veterinary Clinic for extended scans and tests. After a biopsy and time, that tumor actually disappeared. Our vets were stunned. We were all so happy about the miracle of his disappearing airway lump!

On top of all his medical issues, he has a VERY large personality. He’s VERY bossy and will tell you when it’s time to eat, go to bed, or pet him. He doesn’t get along with dogs, cats, or kids so finding him a home was a challenge. He’s been in many of our fosters’ lives and was most recently our wonderful office cat. He’s been searching for his forever home for months with no luck or prospects.

Finally, after months and months of searching, he found his perfect match. One of our tech guys had met Westley quite a few times while working on different projects around the offices. He connected with Westley immediately, but he wasn’t sure if he was ready to adopt. While our offices were closed over Thanksgiving, he offered to pet-sit Westley, and the rest is history. Westley will have a home all to himself where he will be the king of his castle and get all of the attention he deserves.

Happy life Westley. We will miss seeing you around the office!

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Keep the Mama, Not the Drama!

Earlier this year, a family reached out to Planned PEThood for help. They needed assistance with their kitties, Pumpkin and Reesee. Reesee had an accidental pregnancy and the family did not know what to do. They loved their animals so they wanted to do whatever they could to keep their kitties healthy and safe, but finances were tight. 

Thanks to our Keep the Mama, Not the Drama Program, sponsored by Orphan Kitten Club, we were able to get both pets fixed and take their two baby kittens, Jamie and Claire, into our rescue program.

The goal of this program is to help struggling pet owners with accidental litters keep their cats while we spay, vet them, and find homes for their babies. This ends the cycle, saves lives, and prevents future unwanted litters.

Their family is so grateful that we were able to find loving, forever homes for the kittens, plus they do not have to worry about their pet’s health anymore! No more babies! Yay!

Jamie and Claire found their forever homes quickly. Just look at their faces, how could they not! Sweet Claire was adopted at one of our Pet Supermarket adoption events and Jamie was adopted at one of our Petco adoption events.

If you or someone you know needs help from this program learn more or apply here. 

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Thank You BISSELL Pet Foundation!

We want to take this time to give a huge THANK YOU to our partner, BISSELL Pet Foundation. Through two of their programs, we have been able to help pets find their forever homes and pet owners get the spay and neuter surgeries their pets need. Ultimately, both of these programs help end pet homelessness! 

The first week of October was BISSELL Pet Foundation’s “Empty the Shelters” quarterly event. 10 kitties are in their forever homes this week thanks to Cathy Bissell and the Bissell Pet Foundation. Their “Empty the Shelters” effort helped sponsor reduced adoption fees for $25 or less at over 200 shelters and rescues across the country, including Planned PEThood of GA. 

Bissell began the “Empty the Shelters” event in 2016 as an effort to encourage more families to adopt a pet into their home. Since then, BISSELL Pet Foundation has expanded its “Empty the Shelters” reach to organizations in 47 states and Canada with over 500 partners. 

Below is a list of the adopted cats and pictures of a few of the adopted animals! We still have lots of cats and kittens in need of homes so view our adoptable cats here!

Happy life to Caramelo, Hank Williams, Johnny Cash, Ryder, Ebon & Estra, Fred, Babesita, Smokey, and Gretel! We are so glad you all found your forever homes! 

Through BISSELL Pet Foundation’s Spay/Neuter Grant, Planned PEThood has been able to help local pet owners safely spay and neuter their pets at a low cost or no cost. This helps end pet homelessness by preventing unwanted litters and decreasing the number of pets entering shelters. They have awarded grants in all 50 states and over 5,600 partner organizations. BISSELL Pet Foundation awarded Planned PEThood of GA $6,875 in funds to help more than 200 pets with free or reduced spay-neuter procedures.  Thanks to BISSELL Pet Foundation, pets, like Halo and Orianna, were able to get spayed and neutered. Thank you, BISSELL Pet Foundation and Cathy Bissell, for helping these pets in need! Remember, every Bissell product helps a pet in need. 

Bissell Empty the Shelter Event

Bissell Spay/Neuter Grant

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Kittens Stuck In Drain……AGAIN!

Our Feral Cat Manager, Amy, is at it again, rescuing kittens from storm drains. But this time, it was a bit tricker. 

A kind lady reached out to Amy asking for help. She had found a kitten laying in her backyard, asleep in a nice sunny spot. While this kitten was safe, another was in trouble. The lady heard the cries of another kitten coming from a storm drain. The kitten had somehow stumbled into the storm drain with no way to get out. Amy searched for the mama, but she was nowhere to be seen. 

With the kitten stuck down there and no way to get into the storm drain, Amy had to get creative to help the kitty out. Thankfully, with her quick thinking, Amy was able to put together a net using rope, a lingerie washing bag, and some metal wiring to catch the kitten. Amy had to meow to the kitty to get her to move toward the net. After several minutes of meowing, the kitten finally crawled her way into the net and Amy was able to lift the kitten to safety. 

After rescuing these kittens, we brought them into our foster program, hoping to find a foster who had the knowledge and skill to bottle feed these 2-week-old babies. One of our amazing, long-time fosters, Zarya, stepped up and took them home. Now, several weeks later, these kittens are living happy and healthy lives at their foster home. Once they are big enough, they will be microchipped, vaccinated, and spayed/neutered, before becoming available for adoption and starting their journey to find their forever homes. 

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Kitten Rescued From Storm Drain

Early in September, a teacher from River Trail Middle School heard the cries of a kitty coming from a storm drain. The little kitten had no way to get out on its own and was stuck all by herself for days. The teacher reached out to the local fire department for help, but unfortunately, they had no success in a rescue. That is when she reached out to Planned PEThood desperately asking for help. She wanted advice on how she could rescue the stuck little girl. We told our Feral Cat Services Manager, Amy, and she rushed off to help the poor kitten. With some teamwork, Amy and the teacher were able to rescue the 4-week-old kitten. The kitten was a little dirty, but thankfully she was safe. The teacher was so attached to the kitten that she decided to bring her home and welcome her into her family. 

Weeks later, this sweet kitty is living with the teacher who reached out for help. She has three Planned PEThood rescue cats of her own, so this new kitten will fit right in. It’s messy work, climbing into the storm drain, but Amy was more than happy to do it in order to get this kitten a chance at finding a loving, furrever home.

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