4 Ways to Help During Kitten Season

With Spring in the air, kitten season is also in full swing. For shelters, kitten season is a time to kick operations into high gear. Not only do shelters see an increase in kittens, but there is also an uptick in puppies brought to shelters everywhere. 

Kitten season starts around April and can last until October. When the weather gets warm, un-spayed cats will go into heat and mate with unneutered male cats. (Check out our blog on the importance of spaying and neutering here). This leads to an uncontrolled increase in the local cat population. 

Our shelter quickly gets overwhelmed during kitten season, and our intake process can take longer than usual. Here are four ways you can help local shelters and kittens during kitten season.

Watch and wait

If you find kittens that look abandoned, wait and see if their momma cat will return. If the momma cat is gone for longer than 12 hours, it’s time to intervene.

Foster temporarily

If you are able to, try to foster the kittens until you are able to find a suitable placement for them. Shelters may have increased intake periods due to the stress of kitten season. Read all about the ins and outs of fostering kittens here. 

Find a no-kill shelter

Seek out a no-kill shelter to surrender the kittens. Do your research beforehand, and be sure to fill out any necessary paperwork ahead of time. 

Donate

One of the best ways to help your local shelters during kitten season is by donating items that may be in short supply. Blankets, towels, kitten formula, bottles, and even donating your time by volunteering are all ways you can help you local shelters.