Meet Our New Kitten Nanny, Boots

The Arizona Humane Society’s Kitten Nursery has been instrumental in saving the lives of so many of our feline friends who were too young to be adopted. In October 2014, we expanded the nursery’s benefits by introducing Boots, a Chow/Golden Retriever mix who became our first official kitten nanny.

One factor that can increase a cat’s chance of adoption is its ability to live in homes with other pets. By socializing kittens with dogs like Boots early in life, we are able to open up an entirely new world of potential home environments to that kitten. The simple process involves one day of positive playtime and socialization with a kitten nanny like Boots each week. When started with kittens between two and seven weeks old, they are much more much more likely to live happily along with other animals.

Fun Facts About Our Kitten Nanny Program

Studies have shown that cats have a small window of time in kittenhood during which exposure to new things will directly impact their acclimation to changes as they get older.

Since our nursery is not the same type of environment in which these kittens will be spending the rest of their lives, we need to expose them to aspects of a more typical “home life” now in order to make the transition to that life easier.

By increasing our kittens’ comfort level with dogs, we increase their adoptability, since they will be more likely to adapt to homes with dogs in them. This also decreases the chances that the kittens/cats will be surrendered later in life due to problems between the cats and other pets.

In addition to socialization with dogs, the Kitten Nursery plans to implement exposure to other common situations in the future: riding in cars, the sound of a vacuum, laundry machines, dish washers, children and even exposure to pocket pets.

How to adopt a cat, dog or critter

If you are considering adding a new pet to your home, browse our online adorable pet profiles to find your perfect match.