Found Newborn Kittens: What To Do and Not To Do

Kitten season starts during the spring and summer time. During this time most shelters are overflowing with kittens or there are a ton of posts on Facebook about found kitten(s) needing a home. While some kittens are orphaned most are not until someone removes them from their location thinking they are helping the kitten(s).

Lets start with what to do when you come across a litter of kittens that are a few days old.

If you come across a litter of kittens stay about 40 feet or more away and watch to see if the mom returns. The mom cat does leave her young to go hunt and could be away for several minutes to an hour and the kittens can survive this period of time without food as long as they are warm. The mom cat will return once she no longer senses humans nearby.

Once the mom returns you can offer her food and shelter. Keep the food in one location and the shelter in another location. She will not use the shelter if food is too close because it will attract other cats too close to her young.

The mom cat is the kittens best chance of survival, so waiting and making sure she isn't coming back is important. Once the kittens are about 6 weeks old you can separate them from the mother and find them homes. You will also need to get the mom cat spayed or else you will be repeating this every year.

If you wait hours and no mother cat comes or the kittens are in danger you will need to remove them from the area. By danger we are talking about freezing temperatures, a dog or other animal is trying to get them, etc...

If You Take Kittens In

If you remove the kittens it is very unlikely you will find a rescue that will be able to take them on short notice. Vet clinics and shelters do not take in newborn kittens, since they do not have the staff or experienced staff to care for them.

While you are looking for help, keep the kittens warm, purchase milk replacement at TSC or any pet store, and Google how to feed or take care of newborn kitten.

Facebook and the internet is an amazing resource to use to find a rescue group or someone that can bottle feed kittens. It might take you a few days to find a group to help.

#kittens #kittenseason