Kaya Miller, a second-year undergraduate at UC Davis, is fostering three 3-week-old kittens as part of her volunteer work with the Orphan Kitten Project (OKP). She and her roommate alternate shifts to feed and clean the kittens every two hours. “It’s a lot of dedication; we have to wake up every two hours, but it’s so worth it,” Miller said.
The Orphan Kitten Project is a nonprofit club run by veterinary students that has been rescuing and rehabilitating neonatal kittens since 1988. Neonatal kittens under four weeks old need specialized care such as bottle feeding and medical attention. Volunteers like Miller help reduce pressure on animal shelters by providing this care.
According to the UC Integrated Pest Management Program, feral and free-roaming cats make up between 18% and 49% of all cats in the United States. In Los Angeles County alone, there are an estimated half a million feral cats. These numbers are higher in warmer climates like California.
Yolo County residents and local shelters notify OKP when they find neonatal kittens. “They’ll call us, and if we can take them, we will. Or we’ll help direct them to other resources,” said Hannah Rogers, a student at the UC Davis Veterinary School of Medicine and co-president of OKP.
The organization relies on volunteers for roles such as surgery coordinators, adoption coordinators, and veterinary advisors from the William R. Pritchard Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital at UC Davis. “It takes a village because we’re running an entire rescue,” Rogers said. “The whole thing is really everybody in the community.”
OKP does not have its own facility but depends on about 20 to 30 active foster volunteers at any time—mainly undergraduates or Yolo County residents—who receive supplies and guidance from vet students.
Miller first gained experience caring for animals during childhood when she helped nurse an injured cat named Mildred back to health before it was adopted out. She learned about OKP through friends and joined after responding to an email seeking fosters for kittens.
“The coordinator came over and showed me how to do everything. There are just really amazing people in the program,” Miller said.
The project also provides hands-on experience for veterinary students who may encounter young kittens in their future careers. “Even after we graduate and become veterinarians, we will see kittens in our line of work — they will pop up in the clinic, so it’s good to know how to deal with them,” said Charissa Tseng, a first-year student at UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine.
Tseng serves as co-vice president of OKP where she helps check on fosters, administer vaccines, organize adoptions—and recently completed her first kitten adoption placement. “I recently had my first adoption, and it was so fulfilling to see the kitten find a loving home,” she said.
Funds from adoption fees cover only medical costs such as vaccines or neutering procedures; donations from groups like Orphan Kitten Club or Sacramento Valley Veterinarian Associate Medical Association provide additional support for food or supplies but financial challenges remain significant for covering medical bills.
“We work hard to apply for grants and raise funds,” Tseng said.
Demand increases during warmer months when more feral cats give birth outdoors: “By high summer, we just run out of space. Our biggest limiting factor is money because we always have to keep a certain amount for medical emergencies,” Rogers explained.
To address long-term issues related to stray populations, OKP focuses efforts on trap-neuter-release programs: “Unless you can spay and neuter mom and dad, you’re always going to have more homeless kittens getting hurt from living outside,” Rogers said. “When you stop that cycle, you won’t have more kittens taking their place.”
“If you have the time and ability, definitely foster. Every bit makes a difference for these kittens,” Tseng added.
Miller plans to continue caring for Anna, Merida and Elsa until they are adopted: “The only reason why I wouldn’t adopt them is because I don’t have the security. Otherwise I think I’d have 10 million cats,” she said.
