It is the height of kitten season, and litters are popping up all over our county. Those born on the streets behind a bush or under a house are making their whereabouts known. Daily our phones ring with requests for help with a whole litter or a single kitten.

Seldom is a kitten really alone, unless it has been dumped by some uncaring human or its mother has been killed. Unknowing children or adults will find one of these cute little furry balls of energy, and take it home. This may not be wise.

Sometimes a young kitten finds itself alone because its mother is in the process of moving her kittens to a new place. If you find a single one by chance and it is quiet, leave it alone and watch from a safe distance to see if mom returns, usually within an hour or two. When she does, do not interfere, but pay close attention to where the cat takes her kitten and you may be able to locate the rest of the litter.

If it has been alone a long time, the kitten will be hungry and may begin to cry and even come out from hiding. Normally, kittens stay silent whenever mother leaves, so if you come across a crying one, there is a good chance that it really is alone. In that case, do pick it up and call us immediately. This goes for a litter of crying kittens as well.

Kittens need to nurse for a minimum of four weeks, and up to eight weeks if possible. As with human babies, the nutrients and antibodies in mother’s milk are essential to grow properly. No manmade supplement can really replace this.

Never give a kitten cow’s milk or human infant formula. If the kitten you find is very small (weighing less than ½ pound), only a cat milk replacement should be offered. KMR and Just Born are two that we use, and can be purchased at any pet supply store.

It is essential to offer food every couple of hours or the baby runs the risk of severe dehydration which kills quickly. Unless you have experience with tiny kittens, please do not attempt to bottle feed; it must be done properly so as not to get liquid into the lungs, another killer.

If the litter you have belongs to your pet, please do not attempt to find homes for the kittens until they are at least eight weeks old and have been weaned by their mother. Taken away while still nursing, often causes a kitten to carry the sucking instinct into adulthood. For the mother to lose her litter before weaning causes painful drying up and possible mastitis, an inflammation of the mammary glands, and also throws her into heat again. This will result in an extra litter during the season.

When the weaning is done, it is time to get your cat spayed before she goes into heat again, usually within two weeks. More kittens we don’t need!