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Kitten season is here, the time of year when shelters are overrun with litters of cuddly, fuzzy kittens. And while an abundance of purring baby cats sounds like a dream to some folks, there are so many of them in shelters and rescues that need care, it strains the already limited resources. Some of the kittens need 24/7 care, require special equipment, like incubators, formula, syringes, bottles and medications, not to mention the devoted volunteers who feed them every two hours, even overnight.
Many shelters are already beyond capacity and a lot of kittens have to be euthanized, while others die during care. According to Shelter Animals Count, a database for information about animal welfare, 47% of the cats coming to animal shelters or rescues in 2023 were under five months old and 13% of them were euthanized or otherwise died, as kittens are highly susceptible to illness.
But there is some good news. Here are some things we can all do to help all the cats and kittens in need this kitten season.
- Get pet cats spayed or neutered by four months old - Kittens can start having their own kittens by the time they’re four months old, so getting them fixed as soon as possible is key.
- Adopt from a shelter or rescue if you want a kitten - The pets available there are typically already spayed/neutered, vaccinated and sometimes microchipped, too.
- Sign up to foster kittens - Reach out to your local shelter or rescue to get help host kittens to help socialize them until they’re old enough to get fixed, vaccinated and put up for adoption.
- Donate kitten care supplies - Some organizations have wish lists for things like kitten formula, warmers, bottles and cleaning supplies.
- Learn about and volunteer to help with Trap/Neuter/Return programs - These involve catching stray cats, taking them to the vet to be fixed and get vaccinations. The cats are ear-tipped,” a humane, safe surgical removal of the top tip of their ear to show they’ve been spayed or neutered, then they’re returned to their community.
- Avoid automatically taking in stray kittens - Unless you know their mother isn’t around to care for them, don’t “kitnap” them. They’re most likely to survive under mama cat’s care.
Read the article at USA Today