1. Ask, “Where’s Mom?”
Animal shelters are often overwhelmed with people bringing in litters of “abandoned” kittens. Don’t make the mistake of concluding that mom has gone AWOL just because you don’t see her right away. It’s possible she’s out hunting for her next meal. The trick is to watch discreetly for the missing mom’s return without scaring her away.
If you can’t do a four-hour kitten stakeout (mom cats feed their kittens at least every four hours), think of something more creative. One resourceful foster parent placed a newspaper across a mother cat’s only avenue of access to her kittens. When the newspaper hadn’t been disturbed overnight, she knew the kittens had been abandoned.
But don’t wait long—if mom hasn’t shown up in eight hours, consider her gone.
Even if mom does come back, you’ll eventually want to get all of these stray kittens spayed or neutered so they won’t contribute to our cat overpopulation problem. Call OHS or your local shelter for advice.
2. Start House Hunting
If mom has abandoned the kitties, your next step is finding them homes. If they will eat wet cat food, then start calling friends and family who may want a kitten (if the kittens won’t eat, seek advice from your veterinarian or a local shelter). Be sure to ask that future owners spay or neuter their kittens. Cats can be altered when they reach two pounds in weight. It’s a good idea to spay/neuter as soon as possible since cats can begin reproducing at just five months of age.
3. Consider the Shelter Option
If you can’t find a home for the kittens, call your local animal shelter.
OHS can accept kittens up to six months of age. Once older than six months, and if they are strays, then county requirements state that they must go to the local county animal services agency. In the Portland area, this still means that they will receive great care and be placed up for adoption. If county shelters are full, then OHS and other partner shelters work together to ensure that all pets in need are cared for until they find a new home.
At OHS, very young kittens first go into foster care. Once they are old enough and strong enough, they come back to the shelter to be spayed/neutered and placed up for adoption. If you are caring for kittens who will soon need new homes, contact OHS here.
4. Be Prepared to Care
If a shelter can’t take your kittens because they are too young, don’t despair. Enjoy the opportunity to be a foster parent until the kittens reach their required weight. It should only take two to four weeks. Even if you are looking out for previously-stray, nervous kittens, with patience, care, and a lot of encouragement to cuddle in a lap, kittens can become more friendly and social.
Give the kittens a warm, dry place to live indoors (a dog crate equipped with a small litter tray works well; kittens can’t escape but can see out). Keep your kittens well-fed with wet cat food. If they don’t eat at first, add warm water and make gravy—a kitty favorite. Be sure to play with and cuddle your kittens as much as possible. This will make their transition to living with people much easier. Don’t fret that your temporary guests will be a lot of work. Everyone will want to visit you and play with the kittens.
