On September 23, 2026, New York-based cat rescue nonprofit Itty Bitty City Kitties issued a public statement on social media, banning “MAGA” supporters from adopting any kitten from their shelter.The declaration drew humongous backlash from the conservative sphere online, and eventually drew the ire of PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) as well.As the controversy continued to rage, the rescue’s director, Samantha Knox, doubled down on her stance in response to the outrage, which only fueled it further.“Do you really think that kitty cares what political party a person belongs to? You’ll pass up a good home because of this stubbornness,” one user commented.A New York-based kitten rescue sparked a massive public outcry after refusing to let “MAGA” supporters adoptSamantha Knox/FacebookThe Instagram profile of Itty Bitty City Kitties, which has over 18,400 followers, shared a picture of a kitten on Wednesday, with the text “IMPORTANT ADOPTION POLICY UPDATE: NO. F**KING. MAGA.”“If your politics involve racism, bigotry, dehumanizing immigrants, or cheering on cruelty toward vulnerable people, please kindly f**k right off,” the caption read.“For those spouting about cats ‘not knowing about politics’… I actually asked the kittens if they’d be open to homes with Cult Members and the overwhelming response was, ‘Absolutely the f**k not.’”ittybittycitykitties/InstagramSamantha Knox later explained her decision in a conversation with Fox News Digital: “As an animal welfare rescue, our primary responsibility is ensuring the animals in our care go to safe, compassionate homes.”“A history of celebrating harm or ab**e, be it toward people or animals, is one of the biggest red flags in animal rescue. We stand by our mission and will never place a vulnerable animal with anyone, ever, who we feel is a danger to the welfare of the animal.”When asked whether a candidate who identifies as a conservative but has no documented history of animal cruelty or neglect would be considered for adoption, Knox told the outlet, “Itty Bitty City Kitties does not screen or reject applicants based on registered political party affiliation. MAGA is a political movement and ideology, not a recognized political party.”“We reserve the right to reject any application where an applicant’s expressed values, public statements, or actions demonstrate a failure to meet our safety and welfare standards.”ittybittycitykitties/InstagramNetizens ripped into Knox and her shelter for “virtue signaling at the expense of the poor animals.”“This is so stupid. Animals who need loving homes don’t care about your politics. They just care that you love animals and treat them right,” one fumed.“Conservative owner of three rescued cats. They don’t care who I vote for,” another wrote. A third commented, “Keeping homeless kittens in cages to own the political opposition is a new low.”PETA asked the cat rescue to abolish the rule and stop being a “political gatekeeper”Samantha Knox/FacebookAmid mounting public criticism, PETA called out Itty Bitty City Kitties and demanded the shelter scrap the umbrella ban.“Homeless animals don’t care which side of abortion you are on or whether you believe in global warming or support Palestine or Israel or if you don’t vote at all, ever. They care if you love them and will give them a good home,” PETA founder Ingrid Newkirk told Fox News Digital.“We hope this policy, which is human-centric, is reconsidered and abolished. Political affiliation is not a reliable measure of whether someone will be a good guardian. Shelters and rescues exist to protect animals, not to serve as political gatekeepers.”Many viewers shared PETA’s concern and supported their condemnation of Itty Bitty City Kitties.“How did they know the people were conservative?” one such person asked. Another said, “How do they screen for political leanings?”“I never thought I’d agree with PETA, but here we are,” a third joked. A fourth wrote, “So they’d rather euthanize animals than give them to ‘MAGA.’ These people are sick.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by Itty Bitty City Kitties (@ittybittycitykitties)Knox explained to the Daily Mail that the nonprofit evaluates candidates based on “conduct, ethical alignment, and animal safety.”“If our vetting uncovers clear alignment with hateful positions or public rhetoric that celebrates, promotes, or encourages cruelty, the application is denied out of direct concern for the safety and well-being of the kitten,” she said.Samantha Knox received “hostile” DMs from naysayers because of her policyittybittycitykitties/InstagramDespite the onslaught of criticism, the policy had many supporters as well.“I mean, the nonprofit wants the kittens to be safe, so I completely understand their new policy,” one user wrote. A second said, “Good on the shelter keeping these sweet babies safe from the p*dos.”Another made a more neutral argument: “As petty as that is, it’s a free country, and they can choose who they do or don’t want to do business with.”Support for Knox grew in number as she shared follow-up posts about “MAGA” supporters having “an epic crashout” over her policy.She shared several screenshots of “unhinged, hostile messages,” several of which allegedly contained “multiple racial slurs which are incredibly offensive.”“Imagine being so deeply unhinged that a kitten rescue’s adoption standards send you into a full-blown tailspin,” she wrote in one post. “So much so that you’d hunt us down just to spew slurs, threats, and harassment, while somehow deluding yourself into thinking that proves you’re fit to care for a vulnerable animal.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by Itty Bitty City Kitties (@ittybittycitykitties)“Our application process evaluates two core requirements: empathy and basic reality testing. If you cheer for family separation or turn a blind eye to animal abandonment during deportations, you lack the core compassion any animal deserves,” Knox doubled down in another.“If refusing to hand over vulnerable animals to people who get off on cruelty makes me an a**hole, I’ll wear that badge every single day.“Political affiliation tells you nothing about how well someone will take care of cats,” one user said