March isn’t only about basketball games and finding a pot of gold. At the Arizona Humane Society, it is all about kittens!
That’s right, kitten season has arrived. While there is no denying their cuteness, kitten season can also be difficult for Arizona shelters. Most kittens in the United States are born to free-roaming community cats, and in warm climates like Arizona, pet population can grow quickly. One unspayed female cat can have up to three litters a year, potentially resulting in 20 new cats annually.
With new kitties finding their way through our doors daily, the sheer numbers can quickly exhaust our shelter and foster resources. But we have a secret to managing the influx of kittens: you! Here’s how you can help us support homeless kittens and save lives this kitten season.
Don’t Kit-nap Kittens!
When we find a litter of kittens, our good-hearted instincts tell us to rush to the aid of these fragile felines. Thankfully, human intervention is typically not required.
Actually, the best thing we can do is leave the kittens alone. Mom will likely return shortly, and it’s critical that the kittens remain in her care as she offers their best chance for survival (don’t forget to get mom and kittens spayed/neutered once they’re 8 weeks old). If you find kittens and are extremely certain that they are orphaned, you can then step in and help by caring for the kittens until they’re old enough to find homes.
Donate to our Kitten Nursery and Bottle Baby ICU
These intensive care units house kittens who range from newborns to just a few weeks old and require round-the-clock care to gain weight and be socialized.
Between staffing, medical care, vaccinations, toys, litter, food and other supplies, it costs more than $530,000 a year to operate our Kitten Nursery and Bottle Baby ICU. Last year, thanks to our community’s support, these specialized facilities cared for more than 4,300 of our tiniest most vulnerable residents. Make a lifesaving gift today to help us continue giving these precious kittens second chances.
Become a Bottle Baby Foster Hero
The Arizona Humane Society sees hundreds of orphaned newborn kittens each year. That’s a lot of fur-babies! We depend on cat lovers like you to help these kittens who no longer have their mothers to care for them.
As a Bottle Baby Foster Hero, you will have the flexibility to care for them in your own home while we provide all of the necessary food, medication, supplies and support for you to be a successful Foster Hero. Our Foster Heroes expand the walls of our shelter so we can save more lives!
Trap, Neuter, Return
It often seems like our streets are overrun with stray cats come spring. However, there is a simple solution! The most important step you can take to help reduce the number of homeless cats in our community is to ensure that all outdoor cats in your neighborhood are spayed or neutered.
Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) programs are the most humane and effective way to stabilize outdoor cat populations, eliminating the yowling, fighting or spraying that keeps you up at night.
Thank you for helping us care for our feline friends this kitten season!
The post Ready or not, Kitten Season is Here, and You Can Help appeared first on Arizona Humane Society.
