(VIDEO) Rescue Kittens Meet Sharks and Stingrays on Adorable Aquarium Field Trip at Minnesota Mall of America

BLOOMINGTON, Minn. — The visitors pressed their noses to the glass, wide-eyed and twitching their whiskers, as sharks, sea turtles and schools of brightly colored fish glided past. Some reached up with tiny paws to swat at the water. Others simply curled up and fell asleep.

About two dozen rescue kittens took over the Sea Life aquarium at the Mall of America last week for an annual "field trip" organized by the Bitty Kitty Brigade, a Twin Cities nonprofit that finds foster homes for orphaned newborn kittens.

The kittens arrived early on the morning of Monday, Oct. 5, before the aquarium opened to the public, and spent nearly two hours exploring its tanks and tunnels. It was the sixth year the rescue group has brought kittens to the aquarium.

Curious paws meet clownfish

The event offered the young cats a rare view of underwater life. Inside a clear viewing dome, a kitten named Turkey Leg stood on its hind legs as clownfish darted just inches from its face, tapping a paw against the glass and mewing at the fish on the other side.

Elsewhere, kittens scampered through the aquarium's 300-foot (90-meter) underwater tunnel, pausing to stare up at a sand tiger shark and sea turtles swimming overhead. A pair of kittens watched a large fish pass above them, one frozen in fascination while the other seemed more interested in chasing its companion.

Not every kitten was captivated by the marine life. Some found the aquarium's dim blue lighting soothing and drifted off for a nap.

The kittens arrived with names as playful as their personalities, including Lottie Dottie, Bendy Wendy and Mouth Trap. Several were named after foods from the Minnesota State Fair, among them Funnel Cake and Apple Fries.

A fun idea with a purpose

Aquarium officials said the event began as a lighthearted way to give the kittens something new to experience.

"We just thought it'd be a really fun, engaging thing for kittens to see," Sea Life spokesperson John Sullwold said.

For the rescue group, however, the outing serves a practical purpose as well. Kya Anderson, an event director with the Bitty Kitty Brigade, said trips like this help young cats become comfortable with new sights, sounds and people, a process known as socialization.

That experience can make it easier for kittens to adjust when they are adopted and move into new homes, she said.

Anderson said the kittens seemed to enjoy the outing as much as the people watching them.

"The kittens just get so excited to see, like, the fish swimming around," she said.

Caring for 1,000 kittens

The Bitty Kitty Brigade specializes in caring for orphaned neonatal kittens, very young cats that are separated from their mothers and require round-the-clock care to survive. The organization relies on a network of volunteer foster homes to bottle-feed and raise the kittens until they are old enough to be adopted.

The group is overseeing about 1,000 kittens this year, Anderson said.

Raising awareness about that work is another goal of the aquarium visits. Images of kittens gazing at sharks and fish tend to spread quickly on social media, drawing attention to the need for foster volunteers and adoptive families.

Animal welfare groups across the United States face heavy demand during "kitten season," the warmer months when cats give birth in large numbers. Many shelters and rescues rely on foster programs to care for the youngest animals, which are too vulnerable to stay in crowded shelter environments.

Puppies get a turn too

The kittens are not the only rescue animals to visit the aquarium. Sea Life has also hosted puppies from Safe Hands Rescue, another foster-based animal rescue group in the area, though on a separate day.

Sullwold said the experience is noticeably different with dogs.

"Much more running involved with the puppies," he said.

A popular tradition

The aquarium sits inside the Mall of America, the largest shopping and entertainment complex in North America, located in the Minneapolis suburb of Bloomington. The mall draws millions of visitors each year, and its aquarium features thousands of sea creatures, including sharks, rays and sea turtles.

For the rescue kittens, however, the trip was about more than entertainment. Each new experience helps prepare them for life beyond foster care, whether that means adjusting to a busy household, meeting new people or encountering unfamiliar surroundings.

With the sixth annual visit complete, organizers hope the event will continue to spark interest in fostering and adoption, while giving a few dozen young cats an unforgettable morning under the sea.