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DON’T KIT-NAP THIS KITTEN SEASON!<br />
Kitten season has started again in<br />
sunny South Florida and chances are<br />
good that you may come across tiny<br />
newborn kittens outside.<br />
Don’t touch those kittens<br />
– their lives depend on it!<br />
They’re cute and tiny, but kitten<br />
season is NOT cute. During early<br />
spring to late fall, cats mate and give<br />
birth to numerous kittens. It’s this<br />
time of year shelters across the<br />
nation dread.<br />
Good Samaritans such as yourself see these kittens<br />
and desperately want to help them. Here is the best<br />
way to help these kittens when you see them. Watch<br />
closely – where there is a nest of newborn kittens,<br />
mama cat isn’t too far away. Mama most likely went to<br />
find food for herself so she can continue to nurse her<br />
kittens until they are able to eat on their own.<br />
Once you see mama come back to her litter, you can<br />
make it easy for her to find food! Set up some food<br />
and water for her far enough away from her nest so it<br />
does not attract predators, but she can still eat and get<br />
back to her kittens quickly. Easy, right?<br />
If you notice after 24 hours that mama hasn’t come<br />
back to her kittens, this is when they MAY need<br />
human intervention. Please know that neonate<br />
(newborn) kittens require round-the-clock care and<br />
animal shelters may not have enough staff/fosters to<br />
care for these sweet newborn kittens.<br />
When you see kittens,<br />
ask yourself these questions:<br />
1<br />
2<br />
3<br />
Where is mama?<br />
Can I see her? – Yes! – Leave food<br />
and water at a distance<br />
No? – Watch for 24 hours<br />
You can reach out to your local<br />
animal shelter for advice<br />
The kittens’ best chance for survival is to stay with<br />
their mama (mother knows best). Mama’s milk<br />
has antibodies that help them to grow and get<br />
strong. Mama also teaches her kittens important<br />
survival skills.<br />
Once the kittens are 2 pounds or 2 months old, and<br />
they are old enough for vaccines and spay/neuter, then<br />
they can go into an adoption program!<br />
If you find kittens, this information and more resources are available for viewing online at<br />
PeggyAdams.org/Found-Kitten-Resources<br />
Interested in helping to foster newborn kittens?<br />
Please visit PeggyAdams.org/Foster or email us at Foster@PeggyAdams.org<br />
4 Peggy Adams Animal Rescue League
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