DID YOU FIND KITTENS?
Follow these steps so that everyone is a winner!
WAIT!
Don’t move the kittens just yet! If the kittens are in a safe location it’s very possible that mom is out looking for food or hiding nearby watching over them. The kittens are safest with their mom at least until they are eating on their own.
WATCH!
To keep the kittens safe, keep an eye on them but don’t get too close as this may scare mom away. She should return in about 4 to 6 hours to feed and care for her kittens. Kittens do not need to be with their mom constantly. Kittens should only be picked up if they are unsafe and you have determined mom is no longer caring for them.
WIN!
By waiting before intervening with found kittens everyone wins!
Here are a few of the reasons why:
- If the kittens are ‘kit-napped’ Mom will lose the ability to provide essential nutrients and early socialization
- Bottle kittens are resource and time intensive and many shelters do not have the ability to care for them
- Kittens are given a better chance of survival!
Source: OC Animal Care
