A couple of Sundays ago, a Catalyst for Cats board member happened upon a man giving kittens away in front of Wal-Mart. Only one of four kittens was left. The board member took her, explaining the responsibility of pet ownership and the importance of spaying the mother, referring him to the Santa Maria Humane Society for low-cost surgery.

The kitten was too young to be separated from her mother. Although she could eat solid foods, she should still have been nursing. As is often the case, when kittens start tearing around, climbing the drapes and demanding food and kitty litter, they are given away. Tame kittens should stay with their mother for at least eight weeks. It is cruel to remove all the kittens at once, as the mother will miss them and probably suffer from swollen mammary glands.

The man who gave this litter away had no record of where the kittens went. The chances of them being fixed are slim. If they end up outside or even indoor/outdoor while intact, they will begin breeding. Any new kittens born unwanted into a home will be given away and the cycle will begin again. If kittens are born outdoors and are not exposed to humans soon after birth, they will become feral.

The life of a feral female cat is extremely hard. Left to breed naturally, she will produce two to three litters of kittens every season. Physically, this in itself is draining, but then she also has to hunt for her own sustenance and that of her growing offspring. Mortality is high; less than 50% of the kittens survive due to starvation, illness, accidents and predation. In a domestic situation, the kittens and mother at least have shelter and a regular food source, although if left to breed with local toms, they are exposed to disease.

If you come across a basket of free kittens, please be so kind as to take them all. Explain to the giver the importance of spaying. If you are unable to care for the kittens yourself, take them to a shelter or cat rescue group, where they will be cared for and spayed/neutered. If you do keep them with plans of finding homes, it is best to have them fixed, then charge for each adoption. Giving kittens away free diminishes their value.

Luckily for the tiny Wal-Mart kitten, a loving foster looking-to-adopt was found. She is now being spoiled rotten and settling in nicely with her new comfy bed and toys. It will be a few more weeks before she will be old enough to be spayed. But what of her littermates and mother out there somewhere?