What is kitten season?
Each year from March to October, animal shelters across the state see an overwhelming increase in orphaned kittens. We refer to this time span as kitten season.
While female cats can give birth year-round, it’s easier for them to reproduce when the weather is warmer and the days are longer. Cats can continue to give birth to litter after litter until this season ends, producing several litters in a single year. That’s why so many new kittens are born during these months!
Being surrounded by tiny, fluffy kittens sounds like a dream, but in reality, this volume of kittens puts a strain on animal shelters. Orphaned kittens require round-the-clock care and bottle feedings. These vulnerable animals are very susceptible to illness, so they must be moved into a private foster home as quickly as possible.
How you can help
Operation Kindness has a 24-hour neonatal kitten nursery that is able to provide underage kittens with the medical care they need to survive and thrive. However, with the influx of young kittens entering the shelter, our staff can’t do it alone. Training and volunteering to help p foster kittens when they are old enough and strong enough to graduate from our nursery but still need bottle feeding can help us save their lives.
Signing up to foster is an easy process, and our incredible foster team is skilled at fully training and preparing new fosters on all the steps required to care for the pets you may take in.
Providing around-the-clock support to foster families, Operation Kindness is always here to answer any questions and address any medical concerns.
Getting kittens into foster homes not only protects them from illnesses they might be more susceptible to in shelter life, it also allows them to receive diligent care and socialization. Beyond that, it frees up space in our shelter to house cats and kittens that need more advanced medical attention.
To learn more about fostering bottle feeding kittens, or our animals in general, you can check out our foster webpage or contact our foster team.
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