Officials at the PAWS shelter in north Lynnwood are desperately trying to find foster families for more than 100 kittens.

The kittens come from all over the state, mostly from other shelters that have run out of space.

“We have a large network of foster care volunteers, so typically we’re able to help close the gap between the smaller shelters and ourselves,” says Rebecca Oertel, PAWS Foster Care Coordinator. But this year the numbers are getting large, even for PAWS.

“As much as we’d love to all of them to be adopted today, what we really need are temporary homes,” she said.

Usually, foster care volunteers need to go through two orientation and training sessions, but because the need is so great, Oertel is combining the sessions in hopes of bringing in more volunteers. They will offer one three-hour session.

Oertel says fostering takes anywhere from two to six weeks. Foster families just need to provide a warm home, food and lots of love. PAWS will provide all medical care.

Last year, the PAWS foster care program saved the lives of nearly 1,300 cats and dogs. This year, that number is likely to be lot higher.

To help, call PAWS at 425-787-2500, ext. 822.