2019 Spring Shaggy Sheet

Mother Knows Best
Kitten Season 2019
Is about to begin in Palm Beach County.
Here is what you can do to help save lives
We are at the start of Kitten Season: the time from
early spring through late fall when cats mate and
give birth to countless kittens. Peggy Adams Animal
Rescue League is providing critical public awareness
tips to help kittens, shelters and the community
withstand the season. The abundance of litters
throughout the community typically results in too
many kittens being brought to area shelters, even
though it is best for newborn kittens to be left with
their mothers.
“Most discoveries of newborn kittens do not call for
human assistance and, in fact, no intervention is the
best thing,” said Heidi Nielsen, Assistant Director of
Peggy Adams. “The goal is to keep the mother and
kittens together to ensure the best chances for the
kittens’ survival until the kittens are eating on their
own and can be safely removed for socialization
and adoption.”
Before jumping to the rescue,
consider the following:
In the first weeks of their lives, kittens need
their mother’s care and antibodies from her
milk. As they grow, the mother will begin to
give her kittens the critical training needed to
survive on their own.
Before concluding that the kittens have been
abandoned, quietly observe from a safe
distance to determine if the mother is present.
The mother will continually stay with her litter
for the first day or two after giving birth. Then,
she will need to leave for short periods of time
to find food for herself. If the mother is not
present, she is most likely scouting for food
and will return.
A mother cat will instinctively move her nest
of kittens. If a single, young kitten is spotted,
it is likely that it is the first of the group to be
moved to the new location or the last of the
group to get moved from the old location.
Do not interfere with the kittens or the space
they are occupying. It is essential to not handle
them, create shelter, or feed them as long as the
mother is around. These interventions may
cause the mother stress and possibly to
abandon her family.
Help by providing food and water to the
mother. Be sure to place food and water
far enough away from the nest so you do
not disturb the mother and kittens or
draw predators.
Cats should be brought in for spay/neuter
once the kittens are weaned. For details, please
visit PeggyAdams.org/Found-Kitten-Resources
and PeggyAdams.org/tnvr
Following these simple measures will increase the
survival rate of the kittens, allowing them to thrive in
their natural environment. Additionally, it will allow
local animal shelters to use their resources to further
assist the current shelter population with the critical
care they need and help place adoptable animals
in homes.
For additional information on Peggy Adams Animal
Rescue League and more details on Kitten Season,
please visit PeggyAdams.org or call 561-686-3663
12 Peggy Adams Animal Rescue League