Virtual Kitten Shower Guide

This guide will show you how to host a virtual kitten shower event.

What is a "Kitten Shower?"

A kitten shower is just like a baby shower, but for kittens!

It’s a great way to:

• Collect donations, especially supplies like KMR
• Educate about the most at risk animals in the shelters
• Make toys/beds/blankets
• Recruit fosters (if needed)

What You'll Need

• Wish list
• Promotional Materials/Social Media posts
• Decorations for your Virtual Filming area
• Kittens and/or Partners/Volunteers/Influencers willing to be on camera with their foster kittens
• Online platform (Facebook Live, Instagram Live, Zoom, etc.)

Wish List Items

Promote & Publicize

• Marketing/graphics
• Social media
  • Use volunteer support to help you promote your flyers and event info on Facebook and Twitter.
  • Post lots of baby kitten photos
• Website landing page
• Email blast
• Press release
• Partner with local businesses.
  • A month prior to the event, ask volunteers to set up donation drives in places that carry the products you need, such as pet supply stores and vet clinics.

Collecting monetary donations

• For monetary donations, let them know what their donations pays for:
  • $10 can provide a snuggle toy for a bottle fed kitten
  • $20 can provide high calorie kitten food for our weaned kittens
  • $30 can gives newborn kittens full bellies for a month
  • $40 can provide vaccines for a litter of rescued kittens
  • $50 can provide spay/neuter surgeries for 2 cats

Foster Recruitment

• Enlist volunteers with kittens to answers questions on the virtual platform
  • Time commitment:
    • 6-8 weeks for bottle babies
    • 2-3 weeks for unweaned kittens

This is a great opportunity to educate!

Here are some resources to share or discuss at your event:

• How to care for orphaned kittens
• Kitten feeding and weaning
• Caring for abandoned kittens
• What to do if you find kittens

Games

True False Examples

Multiple Choice Examples

DIY Items

DIY Basic Wand Toy

10 wand toys = 1 volunteer hour

Play Enrichment: As all of you have seen from the cat training session, cats are hunters and the most interactive form of play comes from a hunting sequence which we can mimic in the shelter with the use of wand toys. Each cat needs a wand toy of its own to not spread any germs.

What you will need:

• Chopstick/Straw
• Yarn/Cording
• Glue/Glue Gun
• Scissors
• Embellishments: Felt, Feathers, Beads

How to:

1. First, get a chopstick/straw.
2. Next we're going to glue the yarn/cording to the chopstick. Cut around 40 inches of cording. (You can make the length shorter if you wish.) Then get out your glue gun and spread some hot glue around the top inch or so of your chopstick. Working quickly, tightly wrap a couple inches of yarn/cording around the glued end of the chopstick, starting at the bottom on the glue and working towards the top end of the chopstick, so that when you finish the rest of the yarn/cord hangs off the tip of the chopstick. 
3. Additionally if you feel your wand toy is too simple (or not stimulating enough) for your cat friend you can tie feathers, small felt pom-pom, etc. Don't forget to write on the chopsticks/straws the Animal ID number of the cat you made the wand toy form. 

DIY Toilet Paper Roll Ball

10 balls = 1 volunteer hour

Make a fun little treat-dispensing ball that your kitty can bat around. 

What you will need:

• Toilet paper roll
• Scissors 
• Tape

How to:

1. Mark four, 1/4 inch (or finger-width) marks on the side of the cardboard roll.
2. Use the scissors to cut each ring. 
3. Insert the first ring into the second ring, then continue with the third and fourth, until you've formed a ball. 
4. Put treats inside. 

No-Sew Fleece Pet Blanket (Youth Volunteer Project)

Credit: 1 volunteer hour per 1 blanket

Purpose: These fleece blankets are great for all the cats, dogs, puppies, and kittens at our adoption center. They're super cozy and easy to wash!

Supplies:

• Scissors
• Two pieces of fleece (1 1/2 to 2 yards each)
  • The longer the piece, the bigger the blanket
• Ruler

Directions:

Step 1: Line up and trim

• Line up the two pieces of fleece, with the right sides out. Some fleece looks better on one side than the other, user the side that appeals to you. 
• Trim the two pieces so they are the same size.

Step 2: Cut out the corners

• Cut a 5 inches square from each of the four corners.
• Note- you can also cut a smaller 4 inches corner. This is suggested if you're making a smaller blanket. 

Step 3: Cut fringe

• Start cutting 1 inch strips from one corner and keep cutting the strips all the way around the blanket. Make sure to cut through both pieces of fabric. 
• Laying down a yard stick 5 inches from the edge it will make it easier when cutting so you know how far in to go. 

Step 4: Knot

• Starting at one corner, tie the two sides together strip by strip. Use a double knot to make sure it doesn't come undone. 
• Once all the fringes have been tied around the whole blanket you are finished!

Plan your event

• Before you turn the camera on, it's important to have a plan in place
  • Line up your guests (bottle feeding demos, kitten fosters, trivia game host)
    • Schedule a quick call to go over your expectations and any questions
  • Make a schedule
    • e.g.:
      • 1 - 1:10 PM Introduction/Why Support Kittens
      • 1:10 - 1:20 Special guest bottle feeding demo
      • 1:20 - 1:30 showcase donation items needed
      • 1:30 - 1:40 Kitten success story
      • 1:40 - 1:50 Kitten trivia game
      • 1:50 - 2:00 DIY items demo
  • Do a test run to make sure you know how to use the virtual platform you have chosen, and how to troubleshoot any potential issues.
  • Decorate your video space and have your guests do so as well.

If you found this information helpful, you can find our complete catalog of fundraising resources here.