As kitten season approaches we will start to see kittens coming through our doors by the boxful. We thought we would use this opportunity to educate the public on what to do if you find kittens.
OK, so you found a litter of kittens: Now what? WAIT!
Do not assume that their mama has abandoned them, they need their mother’s milk and it’s likely she is not far. The best thing to do is monitor from a distance and wait for the mom to come back and then focus on trapping her. Once she is caught, the kittens will be easier to scoop up. Not only are unweaned kittens difficult to care for and hard for fosters and shelter staff, but they have a very high chance of fatality. If you are absolutely sure they do not have a mom, please do not attempt to bottle feed unless you have correct bottle feeding training. Nursing and weaning moms will go into heat and will get pregnant again quickly. Whether it be pregnant, nursing, or weaning – we want those mamas!
