Finn and Huck are 4-week-old domestic shorthair kittens in the foster program
at Peggy Adams Rescue League. Kitten season runs through the end of August.
Libby Volgyes/The Coastal Star
By Arden Moore
Just about the time snowbirds flock back to their Northern states and just before hurricane season blows in, Palm Beach County braces for the annual “kitten season.”
Kittens? What could be so challenging about these fluffy, mewing, four-legged acrobats?
Plenty.
Recently, I spent time with Heidi Nielsen, assistant director of the Peggy Adams Rescue League in West Palm Beach.
You may need to sit down as I share these staggering statistics and cat facts:
• A female feline can produce three litters a year and can go into heat while nursing kittens.
In 2013, Peggy Adams and the county animal control took in 13,827 homeless felines, many of them kittens.
• Orphaned kittens younger than 4 weeks can’t eat or eliminate on their own and require 24/7 bottle feeding and bathroom assistance.
• Kittens as young as 4 months old — that’s 16 weeks and a mere 120 days of living — can be sexually reproductive. That is the human equivalent of a preteen becoming pregnant.
“We are ready for kitten season that lasts between now and the early fall,” declares a determined Nielsen. “We know that we need to focus our efforts on spaying and neutering feral cats and loosely owned outdoor cats. We have been hard at work at developing kitten season guides — similar to those hurricane preparedness guides — and a lot of kitten care information is now available on our website” (www.peggyadams.org).
In 2010, the league created its feral cat program and least year, sterilized more than 4,000 felines living in feral colonies. The league has qualified for grants in order to offer discounted spay and neuter surgeries and team up with local trap-neuter-release volunteer groups to address cat overpopulation issues. They also have a supply of traps with spring-loaded doors available for rent for $75 for two weeks (you get $65 back when you return the trap) or for purchase at $75 apiece.
“Cats keep on breeding, and we have a lot of work to do to control the feline reproductive cycle,” says Nielsen. “We haven’t turned the corner yet, but in some areas of the county that we’ve targeted, there are not as many kittens being born, so we know our efforts are working.”
And they need our help.
Here are some do’s and don’ts to heed if you do discover a litter of kittens outdoors:
• Do stop and observe before approaching the litter. The mother cat may be nearby or returning soon after hunting for food. “Most discoveries of newborn kittens do not call for human assistance, and in fact, no intervention is the best thing,” says Nielsen. “In the first weeks of their lives, kittens need their mother’s care and antibodies from her milk. In this instance, mother knows best, and keeping the mother and kittens together ensures the kittens’ best chance for survival until they are weaned.”
• Don’t immediately assume a young solo kitten is motherless. “A mother cat will instinctively move her nest of kittens,” says Nielsen. “If you see a single, young kitten, he may be the first in the group moved to the new location or the last of the litter to be moved from the old location.”
• Do fortify the mother cat. “Provide food and water to the mother, but be sure to place the food and water far enough away from the nest so you do not disturb the mother and kittens, or draw predators,” adds Nielsen.
• Do contact the Peggy Adams league or area shelters/animal control for guidance on how to bring in the mother cat and her kittens (once they are weaned) safely to be spayed and neutered, assessed and, possibly, placed in foster homes or put up for adoption.
• Do consider becoming a foster parent to kittens or puppies to help them become healthy and socialized. And, if you have the time and interest, consider learning how to bottle feed pre-weaned orphaned kittens.
“By following these simple measures, you can increase the survival rate of kittens and allow local animal shelters to use their resources to further assist the current shelter population with the critical care they need and help place adoptable animals in homes,” Nielsen says.
How you can help
Discover ways you can help the Peggy Adams Animal Rescue League take care of kittens and other companion animals by visiting www.peggyadams.org. The league welcomes people of all ages, including children and teenagers looking to earn community service hours.
Arden Moore, founder of FourLeggedLife.com, is an animal behavior consultant, editor, author, professional speaker and master certified pet first aid instructor. Each week, she hosts the popular Oh Behave! show on PetLifeRadio.com. Learn more by visiting www.fourleggedlife.com.
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