Humane Society refused to take newborn kittens

This is something a friend of mine experienced. He came home one day from work and found a kitten in his front yard. Its eyes were still closed, meaning it was likely less than 10 days old. He went to the pet store to ask about kitten formula and they had none, so he went back home. Cue him finding four more kittens alongside that first one.

He called all the shelters in his area, including the SPCA and the Humane Society and they all told him they would not take these kittens, which I think is sickening. Friend is highly allergic to cats, so he couldn't possibly have kept them without getting very sick, and none of his friends wanted them or knew how to care for them.

So he left them near the house of someone who has a lot of strays coming and going, and I don't think it was far from his house. He just didn't know what to do, and he felt so terribly broken up about leaving them there. I think he wanted to keep them, but knew he just couldn't. He regrets just not leaving them on the shelter's doorstep.

I don't know what happened to them, but I'm guessing the poor little things are no longer alive. But I hope someone else found them or their mom found them. I just have never ever heard of the Humane Society, of all people, turning away what are obviously very young and very helpless kittens. I hope they're proud of themselves.

Friend may have put an ad in the paper if these kittens didn't need such major care, but you can't even give cute, weaned kittens away, let alone practically newborn ones.

Eyes still closed?

Hmm, I don't know too much about this, but aren't those way too young to be separated from mother cat and would probably be not so well even with best human care?

Also if I'm not fully mistaken, it does require huge amount of work and around the clock, so it may be that Humane society had no resources and they can't really do it with too small resources or they need to shut it down permanently.

So I think that there is more to it that first catches the eye really.

It is always a shame how kittens are suffering, but even people with biggest hearts have realities of life limiting how much they can do, so I would not be too harsh on them, of course it is impossible for me to know how things really are, just giving another point of view to issue.

edit: Most I know from such small ones is what I gather speed reading trough this:
http://www.feralcat.com/raising.html

Originally Posted by RuneKeeper

I hope they're proud of themselves.
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They arent proud, but such is the reality. To take care of newborns IS a full-time job for several weeks, and still it is often an upphill-fight.
No shelter takes them, unless they do happen to luckily have some rescuer free at that moment.
So you CAN ask, it may by luck, but you cant count on a positive answer.

So if you want to help such found newborns, you must do it yourself. Or yourself find some friend or relative or rescuer who can and wants.
If you happen to have a cat or dog willing to help, and at least doing the duties of a foster-mom? Yes it becomes immediately easier. But it is not totally riskfree. Not with just found homeless. Few rescuers do risk it.
It is easier to get help if you do know them, and can quarantee they are healthy, no fleas, and no risk for contagion.

All in all.
Yes, it is sorrowfully and regrettable. But such is the reality.
The shelters around your place probably arent not worse than shelters and Animals Friends anywhere.


Good luck!

It is very sad. Unfortunately, they were probably best left alone - as there was only one at first, then there were four, mom was probably around somewhere.

I figured the reason was limited resources to care for such young kittens...I definitely was writing my initial topic at least half out of anger. So I understand why they refused my friend's request, but it doesn't make the whole thing more bearable.

I definitely reassured my friend that he tried his very best. I would not want to see him get sick attempting to care for these little ones, especially if he spent the next couple months feeding them by hand,no one would want them, and then they'd just get put to sleep at the shelter anyway.

Too bad he didn't find the mother so maybe she could at least be spayed. Odds are she will throw another litter very soon.

Originally Posted by LDG

It is very sad. Unfortunately, they were probably best left alone - as there was only one at first, then there were four, mom was probably around somewhere.

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I tend to think similarly, mother cat could be too afraid to show herself and they are masters of hiding whenever they don't like to be found.

However it is impossible to know for sure, there is probability of some percent for everything and it is rather difficult to say at least for me how high probability is that mother would been there, I'm leaned towards higher than 50%, but I know too little to really make any more than a guess.

In philosophy there is one thing, "good in good, bad in good, good in bad, bad in bad", one can do bad even thinking one is doing good, one way to think that is that person without knownledge can't do bad when person is trying to do good even end result is bad.

So all that can be said really is that your friend has done best what is your friend best knownledge, also getting more knownledge is always a good, I think

You see, bad and sad things are not possible to avoid, but one way to make them less bad and sad is to learn from them something for future.
I think that often we (as human beings) tend to think just too small and it is true challenge to learn to see more, that all is the life.

I am sorry that the shelter turned him away. Some have no choice. I am so very lucky to have a couple of options in these situations and have organizations with a huge foster network to assist and save lives. Your friend tried as best as he could and I am hoping the kittens cries were heard by their mother. Kittens can be very loud and mother cats are instinctly on alert for her kits cries. such a hard reality, the life of a feral mother. I do have a feeling mom cat was nearby though. prayers for the little ones.

It does sound like the momma cat was in the process of moving them and she was probably closeby. The poor little darlings. Many shelters won't take litters that young. I truly hope they survived!!!

Just adding more vibes for the little kittens and hope mom found them . Let us know if you have any word.... I also wish the mother could get trapped and TNRd. . Would be the best thing for her and all of those kittens she will still be having .....

I do not want to sound rude or harsh but as many of you know bottle feeding young kittens is time consuming. Plus for all that work sometimes/often the kittens do not live.

So the Humane Society feels that there time and energy would be better used else where.