2024-03-13

Kitten season is here

When someone stumbles across a litter of kittens alone in a shed or some other type of outdoor shelter, their first instinct is to rescue the kittens; grab them and try to get them to a shelter, or try to nurse them with milk from the refrigerator. But before touching them, WAIT!

The kittens' best chance of survival is to be with their mother. Are the kittens in immediate danger of wild animals, a bad incoming storm, or in a high-traffic area? If not, please wait, and don't touch them, as your scent may cause her to truly abandon them.

It is very likely that their mother is off searching for food, or may even be in the process of moving them. The best thing to do is watch from a safe distance (at least 20 metres) to determine if the mother comes back (you might even have to go away completely because if the mother so much as senses your presence, she will hide, and it may take several hours before she feels safe enough to return.)

The best thing you can do is leave food out for the mother (again, from a safe distance) to help her and her babies grow naturally. Now is the time to call your local animal shelter and get on the intake list!

When the kittens reach the age of approximately five to six weeks, they can safely be brought into your local shelter – momma too, if possible! At the shelter, they will be tested for feline leukemia and feline immunodeficiency virus, properly vaccinated, treated for parasites, and vet-checked, before joining their forever homes. SHAID includes the future microchip and spay/neuter cost and appointment in every kitten's $375 adoption fee.

To get on our intake list, please call us at 902-543-4849. If you want to help out the shelter babies, they would greatly appreciate kitten milk replacement, dry kitten kibble and canned cat and kitten pate. Thank you to our community for helping us save as many little lives as possible by following the suggestions above; we couldn't do this without you!