Patty Baker Humane Society Naples searches for volunteers ahead of 'Kitten Season'

NAPLES, Fla. (WINK) — Patty Baker Humane Society Naples is actively looking for volunteers and foster home applicants as the pet shelter prepares for “Kitten Season” this Summer.

Kitten Season, according to Cats.com, is a springtime boom in stray kitten births contingent on a few factors, including longer days, warmer temperatures, and easier access to food.

Depending on the region, Kitten Season may be year-round, straining pet shelters due to the high influx of animals.

Ahead of Kitten Season, Patty Baker Humane Society Naples joined the Foster 50 Challenge, a nationwide initiative led by the PEDIGREE Foundation and a coalition of animal welfare organizations aimed at recruiting more foster families.

According to the pet shelter, foster homes are important for neonatal kittens and young animals too young for spaying or neutering.

Other animals in need of specialized care benefit from foster homes, as the volume of animals circulating in a shelter limits the attention needed to care for animals recovering from illness and/or in need of behavioral support.

The pet shelter is expecting an increased influx of orphaned, abandoned, and neonatal kittens. Typically, Kitten Season in Florida spans from March through October, with the shelter noting that more than 1,100 kittens were admitted in 2025 alone.

The Foster 50 Challenge ends on July 31. For more information and to apply for volunteer work and or become a foster home, click here.