Kittenpalooza

Herding baby cats into new homes.

— For a couple hours, a back room of the Potomac Yard PetSmart on July 1 was turned into heaven. Dozens of kittens looking for prospective homes crawled and meowed and played with human friends and prospective owners.

The event was hosted by the Lost Dog and Cat Rescue Foundation. It’s kitten season, a time when many shelters are overrun with kittens newly born at the start of spring. However, to keep the kittens from overshadowing the other animals at adoption events, the Lost Dog and Cat Rescue Foundation has begun holding Kittenpaloozas, events featuring kittens. The July 1 event was its second of the events, although for most of the kittens it was their first time up for adoption.

When Mary Lundregan first went to the Lost Dog and Cat Rescue, she came back with a dog. Now she’s back with her family, looking for a partner. For Lundregan, her husband, and two of her sons, there was only one choice: Simba. While the name referencing the hero of Lion King was what immediately got their notice, Lundregan said Simba was playful without being aggressive.

Christabelle Tan, traveling down to the event from DC, went home with Cupcake, a two-month-old kitten.

“I’ve been helping to foster her,” said Tan, “I’m excited to actually adopt. My friend whose fostering her told me about this event.”

Tan said Cupcake is shy, the smallest of her litter, and can be timid at first but can also be very friendly. Of all of the kittens in the adoption event, Tan said Cupcake stood out to her as active, but less so than some of the others.

Even visitors who weren’t there to adopt the kittens were happy to help socialize the newborns.

“My friend told me about this and I was so excited,” said Brian Metcalf, holding Thelma. “I really want a cat, but I can’t have one because I’m leaving for college soon. But I wanted to play with them and help them find a forever home.”

Metcalf said two of his favorites were Thelma and Louise, who come as a pair.