The KR Sanctuary
Some Call It Home, We Call It Paradise
The KR Sanctuary is a private, no-kill cat sanctuary located in the Atwater Village area of Los Angeles, California.
Owning a cat sanctuary had been one of Kitten Rescue’s primary goals ever since our founding in 1997. That goal was achieved in March of 2006, thanks to our amazing volunteers and donors who seized on an opportunity and raised the funds needed to purchase the property. The KR Sanctuary has greatly increased our ability to rescue cats. While we rely on our critical network of volunteer foster homes for the majority of our animals, having the KR Sanctuary enables us to save even more, move faster in emergencies, and perform larger-scale rescues.
The KR Sanctuary houses approximately 150 cats at any given time. Many of them are highly adoptable cats waiting to find their forever homes. Others may spend the rest of their lives here — either because they are feral, are senior cats, or have a chronic medical condition, and therefore are less likely to be adopted. What all the cats have in common is that they are safe, loved and well cared for by our Kitten Rescue staff and our dedicated volunteers.
Los Angeles is a city with a serious animal overpopulation problem. Every year, tens of thousands of unwanted cats and kittens are euthanized by city and county shelters. Thousands more are neglected, abused or abandoned on the streets. At the KR Sanctuary, we believe every cat has the right to a high quality of life, a loving home, or long-term care. One by one, we hope to make a difference for our city’s feline population.
Program Overview
Foster Program
Kitten Rescue began as a foster based rescue organization in 1997 and more than 25 years later, our vibrant foster network continues to save over 1000 cats and kittens each year. Our fosters take rescued cats into their homes and prepare them for adoption. They take cats to medical appointments, socialize them and promote them at adoption events. Some fosters are trained in bottle feeding and care for orphaned neonates around the clock. Others will take sick, injured or elderly cats and provide them the care and support they need. For more information about becoming a foster with Kitten Rescue, email fosters@kittenrecue.org
A foster at home with her cat.
Community Foster Program
Each day, Kitten Rescue receives multiple requests from people asking us to take in cats or kittens that need homes. Our ability to take in cats this way is extremely limited due to the critical need across the city of Los Angeles, which results in our being at maximum capacity most of the time. We can, however, help people find homes for cats or kittens PLUS give you free or low-cost resources to make it easy for you through our Community Foster Program. By becoming a Community Foster, you will get access to discount veterinary care, low or no cost medications, and much adoption support. Enrolling is easy. For more information and click this link for our simple Community Foster Form
Working Cat Program
Our WORKING CAT PROGRAM, launched in 2017, rescues feral cats facing certain euthanasia at shelters and places them at properties needing organic rodent control. This program not only provides value to the community but gives feral (unsocialized) cats a second chance at life. Since the launch of this program, Kitten Rescue has rescued hundreds of feral cats from shelter euthanasia and placed them as working cats at private homes, barns, estates, and breweries. If you have the need for organic rodent control and are willing to provide food, water and shelter in exchange for their services, please email workingcats@kittenrescue.org for more information. Kitten Rescue provides acclimation enclosures and set up.
(Photo on Left) Working Cat Coordinator pulls feral cats from shelter.
Cats after they’ve been set up in acclimation enclosure to become working
cats. (Photo on Right)
Community Cat Program
Our Community Cat Program addresses the root cause of the cat overpopulation crisis in Los Angeles by providing TNR (trap-neuter-release) services to the public through sterilization of cats. When someone finds stray cat(s) in their neighborhoods, we assist with TNR by loaning traps and teaching them how to use traps. We
partner with spay/neuter clinics to provide sterilization, microchips, rabies vaccinations, FVRCP vaccinations, flea meds and any other medical care the community cats need at that time.
We assess all the cats and kittens for the degree of socialization. The feral cats are returned to their colonies after recovery. If cats are deemed tame or tameable, we encourage the public to join our Community Foster Program to place those cats into adoptive homes. The end result of all these measures is reduced breeding and suffering for kittens born on the streets. We TNR approximately XX cats and kittens each year through this program. If you find a cat(s) living outdoors that needs trapping, contact our Community Cat Coordinator at: janice@kittenrescue.org
(Photo on Left) Trapper setting traps and waiting for stray cat to go in.
Trapped cats getting spay/neuter at clinic. (Photo on Right)