Today, I take you behind the scenes of a kitten shower hosted by the foster mom at Meet the Fosters LA. Christina G., who I’ve featured on the blog before, fosters kittens for Best Friends Animal Society in Los Angeles. Christina was kind enough to share her tips and photos on how to host a kitten shower to benefit a rescue organization.

Christina first thought about hosting a kitten shower last year, but she was waiting for the right timing – during kitten season and while fostering a larger group of healthy kittens at the right age for a shower. That perfect timing finally happened with her current set of foster kittens, known affectionately as the Bad Babies Club. (Christina reports that from day one, these kids had a naughty streak!) Officially, they are known as Bougainvillea (male), Buttercup (female) and Bouquet (male).

And now, in her own words, let’s find out what tips Christina has for how to host a kitten shower to benefit a rescue organization!

Christina’s Tips on How to Host a Kitten Shower

Tip 1: Keep It Simple

“My goal was to spend as little as possible and utilize as much of my own supplies as I could, while still making it a fun, cute event that people would have a great time at. My goal was that the donations would outweigh the cost of the shower so that it made sense to actually have the shower in the first place! In my case, we had an amazing turn out in donations, so it was well worth it!”

Tip 2: Utilize Your Resources

“Take friends and family up on their offers to help! One friend bought a few decorations months before in anticipation of me eventually having the kitten shower. Another friend offered to make cupcakes. I borrowed a table and drink dispenser from my mom and another from my friend. I used pillows and blankets from my apartment for the Bad Babies Kitten Lounge. I had jars and canisters for all of the treats as well. So, while I did spend money on some new items, I did save a ton by borrowing or tailoring the event to fit items I already had.”

Tip 3: Keep It Interactive

“I didn’t want everyone in the Kitten Lounge at once, so I wanted to have some interactive activities spread throughout the space. We had a photo booth set up, kitten toy crafts, games and puzzles and a ‘Name a Kitten’ book for guests to come up with as many kitten names as possible so we could pass it on to Best Friends to help them name the over 3,000 kittens per year they rescue! We also had a Polaroid camera so guests could take a few pictures.”

Tip 4: Donations!

“We curated an Amazon Wishlist with items that Best Friends currently needed to help get them through kitten season. I sent the link out with the invites and made sure to send a reminder to guests a few days out. My nieces are Girl Scouts and they asked if they could make something for the shower as a troop. They ended up making simple carrier size blankets and some toys! My mom made rice heating pads as well. Plus, the yarn toys that we made at the shower.”

Tip 5: Utilize Social Media

“By introducing your family and friends to your fosters through social media, you are creating a bond between them and your kittens. Capturing their personalities through your words and pictures creates somewhat of a brand for them. This gets your guests excited to support your cause and come ‘Meet the Fosters’ that they are seeing you raise.”

Behind the Scenes of Christina’s Kitten Shower

While Christina offered excellent tips above, let’s go behind the scenes of the shower to learn some additional valuable information about hosting a kitten shower.

Kitten Safety is Number One Priority

Of course, the top priority at the kitten shower is ensuring the kittens are comfortable and safe. To accomplish this, Christina set up a separate Kitten Lounge area at the shower.

Christina says that the kittens enjoyed themselves in the Kitten Lounge. However, after about 45 minutes, Bougainvillea started to become overwhelmed, so she took him back to her apartment and away from the kitten shower. Later, she ended up bringing the other two back to her apartment as well.

If you’re thinking about throwing a kitten shower, Christina advises not to hesitate to remove the kittens from the shower if they become nervous or scared. She says, “Their happiness and safety is top priority, so you just have to be mindful of their behavior and signs.”

The Treat Table

While the shower is about the kittens, it’s important to keep the humans happy as well. One way to do that is with a treat table! Christina provided snacks and beverages for the kitten shower guests. She kept it simple with a “sweets” theme – including flavored water, sparkling lemonade and cold brew for drinks. A friend made cupcakes and her mom helped out by bringing donuts.

Helping Hands

While the kitten shower was Christina’s idea, she welcomed help from others! Christina’s mom came to town for the weekend to assist with last-minute errands. And Carina, the Best Friends Foster Coordinator, helped the entire day of the shower. Christina was thankful to have other family members and friends also help out with set up and tear down. And Christina even had a photographer on hand as well. (Some of Erica Danger’s photos are featured and credited in this post.)

Christina says, “It was really a day full of amazing people helping me make this event successful and I am super grateful!”

Yes, She’d Do It Again!

My last question for Christina was if she’d host another kitten shower – now knowing all that is involved. “Yes, I would love to! I had great feedback from everyone, and we received so many generous donations!”

And judging by the donations, it’s clear that the kitten shower was a success!

Best Friends Animal Society – Los Angeles

Shortly after the kitten shower, Christina dropped off all of the donations and handmade items, which Best Friends was very excited to receive. They even shared about the donations and kitten shower on their social media.

Photo Credit

A big thank you to Christina at Meet the Fosters LA for sharing her tips and photos from the kitten shower. Also, thank you to Erica Danger for her photos as well.

You can follow Christina’s fostering activities on Instagram and Facebook.

You can follow photographer Erica Danger on Instagram or visit ericadanger.com.

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So, are you ready to host a kitten shower to benefit a rescue organization?

Bougainvillea, Buttercup and Bouquet will be available for adoption this coming weekend at CatCon in Los Angeles!

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