Warm weather means crazy humidity, hanging out at the beach—and kittens! Sounds cute, but during kitten season—which runs from early spring until late fall—neighborhoods, rescue groups and shelters across the country become overwhelmed.
"Each year, as the warm weather approaches, shelters across the country are inundated with hundreds of kittens without homes," says Aimee Hartmann, Senior Director of the ASPCA Mobile Spay/Neuter Clinics. "And aside from the large number of kittens who wind up in shelters, even more are born to strays, dramatically increasing the feral cat population."
If you find a stray kitten, here's what you can do:
1. Look for the Mother Cat
Take a step back and check if the mother cat is around. Chances are she is hiding or hunting for food, so stay back and watch the kittens from a distance before taking action. Kittens under 5 weeks old are ALWAYS better off with mama than with humans. The babies need to be fed every 2-3 hours, so the mother will return to check on them frequently. The best way to help the family is to put out food for mama so she won't have to leave the kittens. We caution kind hearted kitten rescuers not to linger or try to handle the kittens as that may force mama cat to move them to a safer hiding place. If the family is in a dangerous area (close to a busy street or construction), contact your local no kill shelter or a feral cat rescue group for information on how to trap a feral cat family.
2. Catch the Kitten
If you do not see a mother cat or siblings, approach the kitten to find out if she's friendly—you'll know if she lets you pet her. Offer her some food as an incentive to bring her close. If you feel you can easily pick her up, do so—and remember, it's best to have a carrier open and ready. If the kitten will not let you pick her up, the easiest way to catch her is with a no-kill trap. Contact Cat Network to find out how to borrow and use humane traps safely.
3. Determine the Kitten's Age
Consult a veterinarian to find out how old the kitten is. Knowing its age is important for many reasons, namely to determine an appropriate food and feeding schedule. See below for more info.
4. Keep Kitty Warm
If the kitten in your care has been orphaned, it is essential that you keep her warm. A heated bag of rice or hot water bottle wrapped in a towel or a closely monitored heating pad on low temperature works well. The heat source should be positioned so that the kitten can move away from it as it becomes too warm. Please consult your veterinarian about ideal temperatures, and take care to monitor the heating pad.
5. Make Kitty Feel at Home
Once you have the kitten safe inside, make her a temporary home—a small box is perfect for this. Line the box with towels or blankets—a stuffed animal is a nice touch, too. Place the box in a cozy, draft-free area and include the heating pad or hot water bottle.
Warning: Do not let a feral or frightened kitten run loose in your house as she can easily get lost or trapped trying to hide. And be sure to keep her away from other pets as any parasites or illnesses she might be harboring may be contagious.
6. Feed the Kitten
How to Feed: If you have newborn kittens who've been separated from their mother, consult with a veterinarian, no kill rescue group or experienced foster care giver who can help you find a new mother cat with a small litter—she may be able to nurse the orphaned babies. If you can't find a foster mother, please consult with your veterinarian about the proper way to bottle-feed with a commercial milk replacer or goat's milk. Please do not offer regular cow's milk to cats of any age. It is not easily digestible and can cause diarrhea.
What to Feed: When orphaned kittens are three to four weeks old, begin to offer milk replacer in a shallow bowl, then introduce a moist, easily chewable diet. You can make gruel from warmed milk replacer and a high-quality dry or canned kitten food. Serve it in a shallow bowl and feed the kittens several times each day. By six to seven weeks old, they should be able to chew dry food, and you'll no longer need to moisten it.
How Often to Feed: The following is a general eating schedule for newborns and young cats:
7. Teach Kitty to Go the Bathroom
Kittens don't normally go on their own until they're 2 to 3 weeks old. After feeding, a mother cat will groom her babies, paying special attention to the anal area to stimulate excretion. You can dip a soft washcloth or piece of cotton or gauze in warm water and gently massage the anal and urinary areas.
When the kittens are 4 weeks old, you can teach them to use a litter box by placing them in a shallow box after their meals. Please be sure to use clay or pine litter for kittens under 7 weeks old! Clumping litter, if digested by a young kitten, can be fatal. They cannot process or eliminate it as older felines do.
8. Check for Fleas
Check for and remove fleas as soon as possible because a kitten with fleas can become anemic. Use a flea or nit comb—you can purchase one at your local pharmacy. Do not use flea medications, shampoos or powders unless guided by a veterinarian—these could be fatal. It may be best to use a damp cloth to remove any feces or grime. However, if bathing seems necessary, take care to completely dry the kitten and keep it warm.
9. Visit the Vet
Any new or stray cat you bring into your home should be examined by a veterinarian. Stray kittens often carry internal and external parasites that can weaken their immune system and may be contagious to other animals and humans. Your veterinarian will check for signs of illness and may screen for other diseases. On her first visit to the vet, a kitten can begin a series of vaccinations to help protect against life-threatening diseases like panleukopenia.
10. Spay and Neuter Your Cats
The best way to reduce numbers of unwanted kittens in your community is to have stray cats spayed or neutered. In addition to private veterinary clinics, there are low-cost spay/neuter resources available around your community. Use Google and check your local County Animal Services.
Thank you for being part of the solution to reducing animal overpopulation!
We can change the future by altering homeless cats now.
"Each year, as the warm weather approaches, shelters across the country are inundated with hundreds of kittens without homes," says Aimee Hartmann, Senior Director of the ASPCA Mobile Spay/Neuter Clinics. "And aside from the large number of kittens who wind up in shelters, even more are born to strays, dramatically increasing the feral cat population."
If you find a stray kitten, here's what you can do:
1. Look for the Mother Cat
Take a step back and check if the mother cat is around. Chances are she is hiding or hunting for food, so stay back and watch the kittens from a distance before taking action. Kittens under 5 weeks old are ALWAYS better off with mama than with humans. The babies need to be fed every 2-3 hours, so the mother will return to check on them frequently. The best way to help the family is to put out food for mama so she won't have to leave the kittens. We caution kind hearted kitten rescuers not to linger or try to handle the kittens as that may force mama cat to move them to a safer hiding place. If the family is in a dangerous area (close to a busy street or construction), contact your local no kill shelter or a feral cat rescue group for information on how to trap a feral cat family.
2. Catch the Kitten
If you do not see a mother cat or siblings, approach the kitten to find out if she's friendly—you'll know if she lets you pet her. Offer her some food as an incentive to bring her close. If you feel you can easily pick her up, do so—and remember, it's best to have a carrier open and ready. If the kitten will not let you pick her up, the easiest way to catch her is with a no-kill trap. Contact Cat Network to find out how to borrow and use humane traps safely.
3. Determine the Kitten's Age
Consult a veterinarian to find out how old the kitten is. Knowing its age is important for many reasons, namely to determine an appropriate food and feeding schedule. See below for more info.
4. Keep Kitty Warm
If the kitten in your care has been orphaned, it is essential that you keep her warm. A heated bag of rice or hot water bottle wrapped in a towel or a closely monitored heating pad on low temperature works well. The heat source should be positioned so that the kitten can move away from it as it becomes too warm. Please consult your veterinarian about ideal temperatures, and take care to monitor the heating pad.
5. Make Kitty Feel at Home
Once you have the kitten safe inside, make her a temporary home—a small box is perfect for this. Line the box with towels or blankets—a stuffed animal is a nice touch, too. Place the box in a cozy, draft-free area and include the heating pad or hot water bottle.
Warning: Do not let a feral or frightened kitten run loose in your house as she can easily get lost or trapped trying to hide. And be sure to keep her away from other pets as any parasites or illnesses she might be harboring may be contagious.
6. Feed the Kitten
How to Feed: If you have newborn kittens who've been separated from their mother, consult with a veterinarian, no kill rescue group or experienced foster care giver who can help you find a new mother cat with a small litter—she may be able to nurse the orphaned babies. If you can't find a foster mother, please consult with your veterinarian about the proper way to bottle-feed with a commercial milk replacer or goat's milk. Please do not offer regular cow's milk to cats of any age. It is not easily digestible and can cause diarrhea.
What to Feed: When orphaned kittens are three to four weeks old, begin to offer milk replacer in a shallow bowl, then introduce a moist, easily chewable diet. You can make gruel from warmed milk replacer and a high-quality dry or canned kitten food. Serve it in a shallow bowl and feed the kittens several times each day. By six to seven weeks old, they should be able to chew dry food, and you'll no longer need to moisten it.
How Often to Feed: The following is a general eating schedule for newborns and young cats:
- Newborn kittens may nurse about every 1 to 2 hours.
- At about 3 to 4 weeks old, they can be offered milk replacer from a bowl and then small amounts of moistened kitten food 4 to 6 times a day.
- Kittens from 6 to 12 weeks old should be fed 4 times a day as you gradually decrease their access to milk replacer.
- Kittens from 3 to 6 months old should be fed 3 times a day.
7. Teach Kitty to Go the Bathroom
Kittens don't normally go on their own until they're 2 to 3 weeks old. After feeding, a mother cat will groom her babies, paying special attention to the anal area to stimulate excretion. You can dip a soft washcloth or piece of cotton or gauze in warm water and gently massage the anal and urinary areas.
When the kittens are 4 weeks old, you can teach them to use a litter box by placing them in a shallow box after their meals. Please be sure to use clay or pine litter for kittens under 7 weeks old! Clumping litter, if digested by a young kitten, can be fatal. They cannot process or eliminate it as older felines do.
8. Check for Fleas
Check for and remove fleas as soon as possible because a kitten with fleas can become anemic. Use a flea or nit comb—you can purchase one at your local pharmacy. Do not use flea medications, shampoos or powders unless guided by a veterinarian—these could be fatal. It may be best to use a damp cloth to remove any feces or grime. However, if bathing seems necessary, take care to completely dry the kitten and keep it warm.
9. Visit the Vet
Any new or stray cat you bring into your home should be examined by a veterinarian. Stray kittens often carry internal and external parasites that can weaken their immune system and may be contagious to other animals and humans. Your veterinarian will check for signs of illness and may screen for other diseases. On her first visit to the vet, a kitten can begin a series of vaccinations to help protect against life-threatening diseases like panleukopenia.
10. Spay and Neuter Your Cats
The best way to reduce numbers of unwanted kittens in your community is to have stray cats spayed or neutered. In addition to private veterinary clinics, there are low-cost spay/neuter resources available around your community. Use Google and check your local County Animal Services.
Thank you for being part of the solution to reducing animal overpopulation!
We can change the future by altering homeless cats now.
