The blog of my local SPCA recently published this article about finding and moving litters of kittens. I thought I'd republish it here in case folks visit this forum with this question.
With spring and summer comes warm weather, and with warm weather comes…kitten season. This might sound adorable, but in reality it places a huge strain on the resources of shelters all over the country and in many cases the lives of these tiny, innocent kittens are at risk.
It is not uncommon for Good Samaritans to discover a litter of these precious infants under a porch or tucked away in a row of bushes, and with the best intentions, they will remove the kittens and bring them to an animal shelter. The problem is that many of these kittens had a mother cat that was caring for them.
If you find a litter of unweaned kittens, avoid the initial temptation to remove them right away. Instead, monitor the area to see whether a mother cat returns to care for them. Chances are, a mother is nearby foraging for food and will soon return. The kittens’ chance for survival is greatest when left with a mother. If after monitoring the area for a reasonable period of time (2-3 hours), it becomes clear the mother is not returning, then you can remove the kittens in order to feed them and provide other necessary care. (If the mother returns, it is still important that she, along with the kittens once they are 8 weeks old, are spayed and neutered)
If you have already ensured the kittens you have found do not have a mother, we appreciate your opening your heart and home to them so that they may be guaranteed a second chance at a happy and healthy future. The Richmond SPCA can provide you with all the supplies, support and guidance you will need to successfully care for these stray orphans. By following the care instructions on our website, you can help save a life!
The Richmond SPCA transferred more than 900 kittens into our care from local government shelters in 2011. Additionally, we brought hundreds more kittens into our center that were found by Good Samaritans. These kittens are in need of your support as well. You can open your home to them as part of our Meet the Fosters program. In our next post, we'll tell you how to get involved.
It also impressed on me the importance of shelters, humane societies, foster programs, and TNR programs working together. It's like a mini-economy. If a litter of kittens is orphaned and in need of care, shelters/fosters are the right place. But if they are being cared for by a mama cat, TNR is the best way to ensure the kittens' survival while reducing the feral cat population. I'm a newbie to all this so it may seem obvious, but I can really clearly see now how in cities where these services either don't exist, or one exists but not the other, or both exist but don't work together, the burden on everyone in the community is much greater.
Good intentions to move and care for infant kittens are not always in kittens' best interest
With spring and summer comes warm weather, and with warm weather comes…kitten season. This might sound adorable, but in reality it places a huge strain on the resources of shelters all over the country and in many cases the lives of these tiny, innocent kittens are at risk.
It is not uncommon for Good Samaritans to discover a litter of these precious infants under a porch or tucked away in a row of bushes, and with the best intentions, they will remove the kittens and bring them to an animal shelter. The problem is that many of these kittens had a mother cat that was caring for them.
If you find a litter of unweaned kittens, avoid the initial temptation to remove them right away. Instead, monitor the area to see whether a mother cat returns to care for them. Chances are, a mother is nearby foraging for food and will soon return. The kittens’ chance for survival is greatest when left with a mother. If after monitoring the area for a reasonable period of time (2-3 hours), it becomes clear the mother is not returning, then you can remove the kittens in order to feed them and provide other necessary care. (If the mother returns, it is still important that she, along with the kittens once they are 8 weeks old, are spayed and neutered)
If you have already ensured the kittens you have found do not have a mother, we appreciate your opening your heart and home to them so that they may be guaranteed a second chance at a happy and healthy future. The Richmond SPCA can provide you with all the supplies, support and guidance you will need to successfully care for these stray orphans. By following the care instructions on our website, you can help save a life!
The Richmond SPCA transferred more than 900 kittens into our care from local government shelters in 2011. Additionally, we brought hundreds more kittens into our center that were found by Good Samaritans. These kittens are in need of your support as well. You can open your home to them as part of our Meet the Fosters program. In our next post, we'll tell you how to get involved.
It also impressed on me the importance of shelters, humane societies, foster programs, and TNR programs working together. It's like a mini-economy. If a litter of kittens is orphaned and in need of care, shelters/fosters are the right place. But if they are being cared for by a mama cat, TNR is the best way to ensure the kittens' survival while reducing the feral cat population. I'm a newbie to all this so it may seem obvious, but I can really clearly see now how in cities where these services either don't exist, or one exists but not the other, or both exist but don't work together, the burden on everyone in the community is much greater.
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