I’ve never heard of so many kittens needing homes this time of year. There seems to be a bumper crop and not just in California. The call for good homes has gone out all over the US this year. So if you’re thinking about 
helping a homeless kitten or cat, adding a cat to your menagerie, or filling the space left by a beloved cat, this is a good time to go kitten or cat shopping. Just remember that a kitten can be a 20 year commitment.
Because things can happen—you might become ill, sell all of your belongings and 
become a tireless volunteer in another country, go back to school—it’s an excellent idea to assign your cat a god parent—someone who will take him or her in should you 
suddenly become unable to care for your beloved cat. It happens.
If you’re wondering where to start to find the next cat of your dreams, check with your local pet stores. In California and Maryland and many jurisdictions pet stores can sell only rescue cats and kittens. You can also go straight to the shelters and rescue groups in search 
of a cat or kitten.
Here’s a site listing every shelter and rescue group in every state—a total of over six thousand shelters. If you can’t rescue this year, donate! These folks are doing good work. I like to donate locally.
Get on the shelters’ mailing list and learn what sort of donations they need at any given time. We had more fires in our area this summer and one of our local shelters took in a lot of horses. One of the things on their wish list was water for the workers who were working into the night on some occasions. When there are a lot of kittens, toys are always appreciated.
This year see what you can do to help one or more homeless kittens.
What do you suggest if someone is elderly and no one close to them wants or can have the cat/cats? Is there some way to guarantee they can live out their natural lives safely and peacefully? My elderly cats may or may not die before me, but I am concerned for their final years if I proceed them.
There are facilities where cats like yours (with no place to go) are housed for the rest of their lives–senior cat facilities. Locate one near you and find out how to make possible arrangements. If you can, designate a sum of money to be used for your cats’ care if needed. Most of these facilities run on donations and I’m pretty sure that a donation would sweeten the deal. Perhaps there is someone who will accept responsibility for your cats, if need be. Instruct them to find a suitable place where they can live out her life without you. There are plenty of no-kill shelters. Contact one near you and see about possible arrangements there for your kitties. They might be able to rehome them or they would live out their life with other cats at the facility. Again, try to set aside some money to go with them. I was such a guardian for four cats once. My friend asked me if I would take care of them–make sure they were re-homed–should something happen to her. Well, she died quite unexpectedly and I was able to find homes for each of the four adult cats.