TAMPA BAY, Fla. (WFLA) — Caring for newborn kittens is a full-time job. Just ask Nichole Rodriguez, who has been looking after three kittens since they were just three days old.

“It’s feeding every two hours, using cotton balls so they can use the potty, cleaning up with wipes. You have to burp them. They’re very much like bringing home a new baby, and it’s a lot of sleepless nights,” she said.

Rodriguez volunteers at the Hillsborough County Pet Resource Center. Like all shelters, it’s overrun with orphaned kittens this time of year. That’s why the county started the “Wait Until 8” program, which provides kitten survival kits filled with everything a neonatal cat needs in its first weeks of life to volunteers who agree to care for the kittens until they’re old enough to be spayed or neutered and put up for adoption.

“Wait Until 8” frees up valuable time for shelter veterinarians and staff to focus on pairing pets with families.

“If we have a citizen that’s willing to take on that responsibility and help us out, that’s more than we could ask for,” Certified Veterinary Technician Anthony Spatola said.

Spatola says in-home fosters can reduce the mortality rate of kittens from 60 percent to just15 percent. They also help reduce the number of strays on the streets.

“We grow these babies up so that they get to go into fabulous homes, and be well-adjusted family members and be loved, instead of just tossed out like garbage,” Rodriguez said.

Once the “Wait Until 8” kittens reach eight weeks of age, volunteer caregivers may adopt them free of charge. That includes the county pet license, vaccinations, micro-chipping and chip registration.

Volunteer caregivers must be at least 18 years old. Families are welcome, and students participating in the “Wait Until 8” program are eligible for Bright Futures hours.

You can learn more about “Wait Until 8” here.STORIES THAT OTHERS ARE CLICKING ON-

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