When it comes to finding a litter of kittens you can help save lives sometimes by not taking action.
Kitten season is in full swing and shelters are seeing an unusually large number of abandoned neonatal newborns coming into their facility, more than they'd like to see.
Many of these extremely young kittens look healthy and well cared for, as if the mother cat may have only temporarily left the kittens.
Mother cats don’t often abandon an entire litter of kittens but they will leave them to search for food or to find a more suitable location to move the family.
With this in mind there are some signs to look for when you come across a litter of kittens to insure you are not doing more harm than good.
If you find a litter of kittens without a mother cat and the kittens are in a dangerous situation – next to a road or a neighbor’s dog – you can move the kittens to a safer area and mom will still return for them.
It is a common misconception that if you touch the kittens then mom will not take them back because of the human smell. This is simply not true.
RELATED: Caring for Kittens and Cats
If the kittens are not in any obvious danger simply leave the area.
Don’t hide nearby because the mother cat can still smell you and sense your presence. Check back in a few hours within the same day.
Signs the kittens are probably ok and their mother is away temporarily:
Keep in mind that kittens have the best chance of survival with their mother. If they look healthy and well cared for, leave them for the mother cat to raise.
For proper social development, kittens should be kept with their litter and mother, if possible, until at least eight weeks of age, preferably twelve weeks.
The longer kittens stay with their mother, the better it is for them all.
Source: Austin Pets Alive
Recommend Reading: Animal Alliance NYC What to do if you find a NEWBORN kitten.
With this in mind there are some signs to look for when you come across a litter of kittens to insure you are not doing more harm than good.
If you find a litter of kittens without a mother cat and the kittens are in a dangerous situation – next to a road or a neighbor’s dog – you can move the kittens to a safer area and mom will still return for them.
It is a common misconception that if you touch the kittens then mom will not take them back because of the human smell. This is simply not true.
RELATED: Caring for Kittens and Cats
If the kittens are not in any obvious danger simply leave the area.
Don’t hide nearby because the mother cat can still smell you and sense your presence. Check back in a few hours within the same day.
Signs the kittens are probably ok and their mother is away temporarily:
- There are multiple kittens — a singleton (a single kitten) is more likely to be in trouble.
- They look fat and well fed.
- They are clean and their fur looks like peach fuzz.
- The kittens have not been moved and there is no evidence the mother cat has returned in the past few hours.
- There is only one kitten.
- The kittens don’t have fat and full bellies.
- The kittens have not been cleaned.
Keep in mind that kittens have the best chance of survival with their mother. If they look healthy and well cared for, leave them for the mother cat to raise.
For proper social development, kittens should be kept with their litter and mother, if possible, until at least eight weeks of age, preferably twelve weeks.
The longer kittens stay with their mother, the better it is for them all.
Source: Austin Pets Alive
Recommend Reading: Animal Alliance NYC What to do if you find a NEWBORN kitten.