Revolutionizing Kitten Care: The Kitten College Model, Featuring Marnie Russ, Founder, National Kitten College

"A cat that is well socialized is highly adoptable. A cat that is not well socialized sits in the shelter. It's an important part of your fostering responsibility to get them ready to live outside. Before it was just saving their lives. But now we know better."

This episode is sponsored-in-part by Maddie's Fund and The Community Cat Clinic.

In this episode, host Stacy LeBaron welcomes back Marnie Russ, founder of National Kitten College, for an update on her innovative approach to neonatal kitten care. Since her first appearance on the podcast in 2016-2017, Marnei has grown her innovative "Kitten College" program from a small local initiative into a national movement that has fundamentally changed how shelters approach kitten fostering and care. What started as a business plan that would have "gotten an F in college" has evolved into a sophisticated system that increased kitten saves from 92 to nearly 1,600 annually while achieving an extraordinary 94-96% live release rate for neonates.

Marnie explains how her grade-based foster system (freshman, sophomore, junior, senior) allows fosters to specialize in the age groups they prefer while ensuring kittens receive optimal socialization through multiple placements. This model challenges traditional fostering wisdom that discouraged moving kittens between homes, instead proving that strategic movement enhances socialization and health outcomes. She details how the program evolved organically, with fosters creating their own "conveyor belt" systems and team approaches that maximize both volunteer satisfaction and kitten success rates.

The conversation explores the critical intersection between TNR work and kitten programs, addressing how Kitten College supports community cat efforts by providing reliable placement options for trapped litters. Marnie discusses her partnership with UC Davis and University of Florida to ensure all recommendations align with current shelter medicine best practices, her work developing the first national neonatal kitten training center, and her commitment to making these resources free or low-cost for rural and under-resourced communities. This episode demonstrates how innovative thinking about traditional shelter practices can create scalable solutions that benefit both animals and the people who care for them.

Press play now for:

• How Marnie's original collaboration with National Kitten Coalition led to studying major nurseries nationwide
• The evolution from 92 kittens annually to nearly 1,600 with 94-96% live release rates for neonates
• The grade-based foster system (freshman through senior) that allows specialization and prevents foster burnout
• Why moving kittens between foster homes improves socialization rather than harming it
• How the "conveyor belt" system emerged organically with foster teams working together
• The critical connection between TNR efforts and kitten placement programs during summer months
• Partnership strategies between Kitten College programs and community cat trappers
• Working with UC Davis and University of Florida to align practices with current shelter medicine
• Development of the first national neonatal kitten training center in partnership with Humane Rescue Alliance
• The transition from Animal Welfare League of Arlington to becoming an independent national nonprofit
• Funding challenges and commitment to providing free or low-cost services to rural communities
• Success of "Taking the Fear out of Bottle Feeding" course as Maddie's University's top-performing class
• Why traditional "every two hours" feeding schedules are outdated and discourage potential fosters
• Creating community connections where kitten programs can support each other nationally
• The importance of employer partnerships to enable workplace bottle feeding for dedicated fosters

Resources mentioned:

• National Kitten College website (https://www.kittencollege.org/)
• Email: [email protected]
• National Kitten College Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/p/National-Kitten-College-61558629895690/)
• Maddie's University online courses (https://university.maddiesfund.org/)
• Animal Welfare League of Arlington - original program location (https://www.awla.org/)
• Animal Welfare League of Arlington Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/AWLArlington/)
• Humane Rescue Alliance - DC partnership (https://www.humanerescuealliance.org/)
• Humane Rescue Alliance Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/humanerescuealliance/)
• UC Davis Koret Shelter Medicine Program (https://www.shelterlearniverse.com/)
• University of Florida Shelter Medicine Program (https://sheltermedicine.vetmed.ufl.edu/)
• National Kitten Coalition (https://kittencoalition.org/)

Sponsor Links:

• Maddie's Fund (https://www.communitycatspodcast.com/maddies623)
• The Community Cat Clinic (https://www.communitycatspodcast.com/catclinicga)

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