Join us this kitten season for a fun and meaningful way to support the tiny kittens who are just beginning their journey to loving homes. Be the top cumulative donor for the kitten(s) of your choice and earn the right to name that kitten. Yes, it will require a little math but these little beings are worth it!
Your support via unlimited $1 votes will help us prepare for the many tiny beings who will arrive this season. From routine care to unexpected medical needs, every dollar ensures we're ready to provide lifesaving support the moment they come through our doors.
Current Frontrunners
updated as of 11:15 p.m. 6/19/26
Some examples of the expenses we incur for each little squishy ball of fur that comes through our doors:
- Each kitten receives an intake exam to scan for common parasites and diseases that kittens born on the streets might bring with them.
- All animals in our care receive flea treatment, as well as multiple levels of parasite treatment, as necessary.
- All kittens receive up to 3 vaccines (depending on age and health) by the time they are 8-16 weeks old
- Kittens are spayed or neutered prior to being placed up for adoption and receive a microchip during that procedure.
- Most kittens spend time in foster. We provide all the supplies that they need to bring the babies to the adoptable age of 8 weeks – litter and litter boxes, food, formula, blankets, crates, and toys.
Our top priority is keeping their bowls and bellies full!
During the season (which can extend from May through September or October), we go through a minimum of 20 cases of kitten food every week, and the need only gets bigger as more kitten litters arrive throughout the year. Cash donations help us take advantage of bulk discounts and allow us to keep the brands and types of foods we supply for each kitten consistent.
Where do the kittens come from?
We commit to taking in kittens from wherever the need is. Many of our kittens come in through our Last Litter program. People who end up with a litter of kittens they didn’t expect can bring the litter in with momma and have the whole family spayed and neutered. We adopt out the kittens, and they get to take momma back home where she belongs.
We also work with various adoption agencies throughout Washington State to take in kittens that they may not be able to provide for. We are proud of our in-house clinic and extensive foster network that allows us to care for medically fragile or very young kittens for the length of time they require to be ready for adoption.
With your help, we can continue to purchase exactly what each kitten needs to thrive - provide quality food to start our kittens out right, no matter how old they are when we begin their care.
Participate in our naming contest today for a fun and meaningful way to help care for our most precious babies. And, who knows, the next kitten to steal hearts at Homeward Pet could be carrying a name you chose.
We appreciate you!
Rules
Kitten Naming Contest: Official Rules
Clarification of Terms
- "Contest Period" – 9:00 AM (Pacific Time) on Thursday, June 18, 2026– 8:00 PM (Pacific Time) on Friday, June 26, 2026
- "The Contest" – The Homeward Pet Kitten Naming Contest
- "Fundraising Contest" – A votes-based fundraising competition to raise money for the cats and dogs at Homeward Pet.
Eligibility
The Kitten Naming Contest is open to all legal U.S. residents who are at least eighteen (18) years of age. The Contest is subject to all applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations. Void where prohibited or restricted by law or regulations. This contest is open to Homeward Pet Staff and Volunteers.
Voting & Fundraising Rules
- Structure: Homeward Pet will upload official photos of the kittens from a litter. Participants will vote on these specific photos; no outside photo submissions will be accepted.
- Cost: Voting requires a $1 donation per vote.
- Minimum Purchase: To vote, voters must go to the contest site and purchase a minimum of five (5) votes for a $5 donation. Those votes can then be cast for any of the kitten photos in minimum one-vote increments.
- Allocation: Voters do not have to use all their votes at the time of donation, nor on a single kitten. When voters donate, they will be given the option of applying all the votes to one (1) entry or setting up an account and storing votes to use later during the Contest Period.
- Unused Votes: Votes left unused at the termination of the contest will be considered general donations and will not be applied toward any single kitten.
- Tracking: Homeward Pet will manually track who is in the lead on the main page of this contest.
- Tax Deductibility: Donations are tax-deductible by law. Please save your receipts for your tax records. Homeward Pet is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.
Selection of Winners & Prizes
- The Prize: The single contributor who purchases and places the highest number of cumulative votes under an individual kitten will win the exclusive right to name that specific kitten.
- 5 Opportunities to Win: There will be 5 distinct winners total (one winning namer per kitten).
- Ties: In the event of a tie for the highest number of votes on any single kitten, the winner will be determined by determining the person who reached that highest vote count first. Alternatively, if we have additional unnamed kittens in the shelter, we may, at our discretion, assign the secondary winner to a different kitten.
- Notification: Winners of the naming rights will be notified by e-mail during the first week of July and will be given instructions on how to submit their chosen kitten name. Homeward Pet reserves the right to veto names deemed inappropriate or offensive.
Liability & Data Use
- Errors & Technical Issues: Homeward Pet shall not be responsible for human, technical, or typographical errors, or for internet interruptions during the voting period. Homeward Pet reserves the right at its sole discretion to cancel, terminate, modify, or suspend the Contest if technical failures or fraud corrupt the integrity of the voting.
- Use of Personally Identifiable Information: Personally identifiable information provided by voters will be added to Homeward Pet's email list. Voters will be able to "opt out" of future communications by following the instructions on any electronic communication received. Homeward Pet does not sell, rent, trade, or share email addresses with third parties for marketing purposes.
Questions?
If you have any questions about the Kitten Naming Contest, please contact Kim Leary by email at kim@homewardpet.org. Thank you for participating and supporting Homeward Pet!
Homeward Pet Adoption Center is one of the leading non-profit, no-kill animal shelters in Washington State.
Our mission is to transform the lives of cats and dogs in need through compassionate medical care, positive behavior training, and successful adoption while building a more humane community.
Homeward Pet is a private organization. We receive no state or federal funding. Your donations help us to grow a robust program that spans beyond simply intake and adoption. Enlisting the principles and practices of Fear Free Sheltering, the animals in our care are assessed as individuals and receive behavioral, medical, and in-home foster care as needed. Because of the generous support of donors and volunteers, we can care for animals that others may not have the resources for.
In addition, we provide free behavior consultations and low cost spay/neuter services to keep animals out of the shelter system and in their homes. We can work with owners to find a way to keep their pets. If an animal must be rehomed, we offer Home to Home to help owners match up directly with new adopters so that the animal never has to spend a day in the shelter.
Making Our Mission Work
As a privately funded 501(c)3 charity, we rely completely on donor support to help us provide food, shelter, vet care and more to each homeless cat or dog in our care.
Tax ID#: 91-1526803