When attending a wedding, many people request a plus one, but not Hannah Shaw, she does things very differently.
The renowned kitten rescuer doesn’t go anywhere without a four-legged friend in tow, so of course she strolled into a family wedding with a neonatal kitten, and even sat with the bridal party as they got ready so she could feed her new rescue in peace.
This may seem surprising to anyone unfamiliar with Shaw, but if so you’d have to be a social media Luddite, given the professional animal rescuer has over 3.9 million followers across all her platforms (@kittenxlady). She has even picked up a few famous followers, including fellow cat lover Jonathan van Ness of Queer Eye.
Indeed, the 36-year-old from San Diego, California, has made a devoted following and name for herself after sharing her journey of saving over 1,000 lives through years of animal rescue work, all to reduce the number of strays on streets and in shelters.
“There’s not a lot of problems in the world that can be solved by snuggling kittens, but this is one,” she told Newsweek.
If ever you stumble across a kitten under 8 weeks old, you might assume taking them to a shelter is the safest option. But that could actually sign their death warrant, as most shelters won’t look after animals requiring 24-hour care, so they’re euthanized.
Enter Shaw, who takes in kittens deemed unhealthy and untreatable: “I take in those most at risk, which is usually kittens under 5 weeks and dependent on a bottle.”
Her work is extremely hands on, so Shaw only ever cares for one litter at a time. That could be anything from one kitten to 10. “Right now, I have a baby who was found in a dumpster. I’ll be waking up every couple hours to look after him,” she continued.
She may be the Kitten Lady, but Shaw doesn’t only rescue felines. She’s saved puppies, goats, ducklings, pigs—if there’s an animal in need, she’ll be nearby. (Even if it means rushing to the grocery store in the middle of the night for goat’s milk to feed an actual goat.)
“The reality is I don’t get weekends off and I wake up to take care of kittens before taking care of myself. I do that until I close my eyes, and wake up to feed babies overnight too,” she said.
The Cat That Started It All
Shaw’s always been passionate about animals, but believe it or not, she wasn’t surrounded by them as a child. She made do with a distinct lack of nature growing up in New York City, while also believing that “pigeons were the most beautiful animals” for a time.
As a teenager, she got involved with animal rights, but in 2009, destiny struck. Aged 21, Shaw discovered a 5-week-old kitten in a tree, and her love of cats collided with her love of campaigning.
“I found this kitten so I climbed up and brought her down. I started to learn about the resources for cats, and I learned that anything under 8 weeks would be euthanized in a shelter because they aren’t considered adoptable. I couldn’t believe it.”
From that moment, her journey as the Kitten Lady was truly underway.
After saving the kitten, named Coco, Shaw had no idea what to do initially, and it’s not like they teach neonatal kitten classes in school (would trade that for algebra any day). But she knew this cat’s life was worth saving nevertheless.
Coco was the catalyst for everything, and though she sadly passed away in January aged 15, her legacy endures. “She was the inspiration for everything, and I feel even more invigorated to solve this crisis after her passing. It’s all for Coco,” Shaw continued.
The Life of a Kitten Rescuer
Flash forward to 2024 and those early days are a distant memory. Shaw has come a long way since feeling so nervous about putting a life in her hands. Now, it’s a lifestyle.
She’s built a network of supporters, and encourages friends and family to rescue or volunteer. After all, Shaw can’t face this battle alone: “My friends and family love the kittens, they’re always happy to come over and they excitedly ask who is in the nursery that day.”
If you think she lives in a regular home with some cat ornaments and a framed picture on the wall, think again. Shaw’s San Diego home features a nursery with several incubators, outdoor “catios,” and a large glass playpen.
When she says that animals are important, Shaw means it. She’s married to cat photographer (yes, you read that right) Andrew Marttila, and their wedding even had a four-legged guest of honor in attendance.
“Andrew is very supportive and he’d never tell me not to bring an animal home—even a pig. This one pig, Hugo, was being kept behind a taco stand in horrible conditions. So Andrew and I got him healthy and found him a home at this sanctuary.”
The couple have fostered over 30 pigs, but Hugo has always been special and they couldn’t possibly tie the knot without him. So on the big day, he got to trot down the aisle as the ring bearer while wearing his own bow tie.
“He walked down the aisle with popcorn instead of flowers, and he ate it going down the aisle,” she said.
That’s one way to make it original.
The More Unusual Rescues
As her ability increased, she’s comfortable taking on the “funkier cases,” including kittens with paralysis, a collapsed ribcage, and a cleft palate.
“Two years ago, we fostered ChouChou, who had a severe cleft palate. A kitten like him wouldn’t normally survive a day, but I tube fed him every two hours until he was six months. He was my most intense case, I fed him over 1,000 times,” Shaw said.
Against the odds, ChouChou is now 2 years old and eats independently, all because Shaw believed in him. Most of her kittens eventually go to forever homes, but she couldn’t bear the thought of ChouChou leaving, so she adopted him in 2022.
“When I rescued my first paralyzed kitten, Chloe, eight years ago, I had no experience with mobility differences, but I decided to give it a shot. I remember lying on the floor and crying for two days, thinking there’s no way this kitten could live a happy life,” she said.
“I started figuring out what I could do for her, like putting yoga mats on the floor to provide grip. I had no understanding before, so I felt overwhelmed and tried to fix her, but now if I take on a paralysis case, it’s totally different.”
Working with Chloe was transformative, and it gave Shaw the confidence to take on more challenges. She’s now helped several kittens with mobility differences who otherwise wouldn’t be here today.
There are countless kittens who have gone on to live happy and healthy lives, all because of Shaw. Including Badger, who was discovered during a snowstorm, “still wet from birth.”
He’d been outside for hours and he was frozen stiff by the time Shaw got to him. She used a small toothbrush to stroke his fur and gradually warm him up before getting him into an incubator.
To this day, it’s incredibly powerful for Shaw to see a kitten transform in front of her eyes.
How She’s Using Social Media
When she’s bottle feeding a neonatal kitten, or sleeping in a haybarn with a piglet, Shaw documents her experiences online. She’s not doing it for the likes though—it’s all about awareness.
“If I ever question whether I’m making a difference, I think back to 15 years ago when most shelters had no foster program. Now, I’m incredibly optimistic, but also hungry to keep going because I know I can do something impactful for kittens everywhere,” Shaw told Newsweek.
“It’s incredible to have so many people’s faith in me, and I just want to make everyone (and kittens) proud. I want to be a real hero for them.”
Shaw and Marttila have traveled the world for their book, Cats of The World. By capturing stunning images and learning how cat welfare can be improved, they hope to make a worldwide impact.
She’s also set up a nonprofit, the Orphan Kitten Club, and if her work has shown anything, it’s not to lose hope on even the tiniest of lives.
Anyone who follows Shaw will know that she doesn’t only advocate for rescuing on social media. She also shares tutorials to help others do their bit.
Reducing strays isn’t just Shaw’s fight, it’s everyone’s.
She said: “Seeing a life change before your eyes is a powerful force that provides purpose. I always say that eight weeks of my time can give these kittens the gift of 20 years of life.
“Fostering is a small act of kindness with huge ripple effects.”