What Happens Inside Our Nursery & Resource Center

At Esther Neonatal Kitten Alliance, our facility is more than a shelter — it’s a lifeline for the tiniest, most vulnerable kittens in Western North Carolina and beyond. Here's a closer look at the specialized, life-saving work happening every day in our Nursery & Resource Center:

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Neonatal Kitten Care

Our team provides 24/7 care for orphaned and newborn kittens who arrive without a mother. These fragile babies are bottle-fed, kept warm in incubators, and monitored around the clock until they’re stable and strong.

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Intensive Care Unit (ICU)

Kittens in critical condition receive advanced medical support in our dedicated ICU space. From oxygen therapy and fluid administration to infection management and wound care, our ICU gives severely injured or sick kittens a fighting chance.

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Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation

Some kittens arrive with birth defects, injuries, or developmental challenges. We offer custom rehabilitation plans including physical therapy, splints, stretching exercises, and play-based mobility support to help them thrive.

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Premature Kitten Care

Premature kittens need specialized support, including temperature regulation, tube feeding, and constant observation. Our team is trained to meet the unique needs of these extra-fragile babies from their first breath forward.

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Maternity Care

We provide a safe, stress-free environment for mama cats to raise their kittens and ensure moms get the nutrition, medical attention, and peace they need to care for their babies until weaning.

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Adoption Lounge

Once kittens are healthy, social, and ready for their forever homes, they move to our cozy Adoption Lounge. Here, visitors can meet adoptable kittens in a fun, cage-free space that encourages bonding and connection.

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Community Education

We host classes, webinars, and workshops to teach fosters, shelters, and the public how to care for vulnerable kittens. Topics include bottle feeding, weaning, socialization, and more — both virtually and in-person.

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Rescue & Shelter Support

We partner with municipal shelters and rescue groups to save at-risk kittens who need more care than they can provide. We offer transfers, medical support, training, and collaborative problem-solving to build a stronger safety net for kittens in crisis.

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