Meet San Diego's Viral “Kitten Lady" Rescuing In-Need Cats

This doesn’t sound like a problem (cute babies!), but for Hannah “Kitten Lady” Shaw, it’s a big issue—one she’s dedicated her life to solving.

“I moved to San Diego in 2018 because it is a very special place for kitten welfare,” says Shaw, who has lived all over the country. “All along the southern border of the US is where we see the most kittens coming in. At many animal shelters, the policy is to euthanize any kitten under eight weeks, [or adoption age].

National statistics for 2025 show that, of all the cats dying in shelters, 58 percent are pre-adoption-age. “That’s because they can’t stay in the shelter overnight,” Shaw explains. “They’re dependent on around-the-clock care, and most shelters don’t provide that.”

If you’re shocked to hear that young kittens are often euthanized, you’re experiencing the same emotion that set Shaw on a new path. Seventeen years ago, after rescuing a neonatal kitten from a tree, she called a friend who worked at a shelter, only to learn that the little one likely wouldn’t make it there.

“I found it horrifying, and I ended up adopting her,” she recalls. “I started finding kittens everywhere and caring for them. People started calling me and saying, ‘Hey, are you that kitten lady?’”

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