Kitten Season: What To Do If You Find a Kitten

By Shreya Kumar

Every spring and summer, animal rescues across the country brace themselves for what’s known as kitten season, the time of year from early spring through summer when unspayed female cats give birth to their litters. While the idea of new kittens may seem like a joy at first, kitten season can often be overwhelming for new mothers as well as overfilled shelters and rescues such as Fat Kitty City, which are already home to dozens of cats for adoption.  ​

Thousands of kittens are born outdoors to community cats each year, and many struggle to live without adequate shelter, food, or protection. Too often, well-meaning people who discover kittens assume they have been abandoned and immediately scoop them up to take in or surrender to shelters.  
Unfortunately, this can put both the kittens and shelters in difficult positions. Newborns rely heavily on their mothers for comfort and nutrition, so removing them from their mothers too soon can significantly lower their chance of survival. At the same time, shelters become overwhelmed with new litters, sometimes receiving dozens of tiny kittens in a single day. In fact, data from Shelter Animals Count, the most trusted and current source for animal sheltering data, showed that nearly half (47%) of felines entering shelters in 2023 were kittens under five months, which made up nearly a quarter of the total animal intake across all shelters. Many of these babies require bottle-feeding every two to three hours as well as consistent supervision, which is an impossible demand for most shelter staff and volunteers to meet.  
By better understanding what kitten season means and learning the right steps to take to care for stray kittens, we can all help to reduce this strain and protect vulnerable animals in our community. ​

What to Do If You Find a Kitten and How to Tell if a Kitten is Abandoned ​

Check for Signs of the Mother 

• Don’t pick up the kittens immediately. Removing the kittens too soon can reduce their chances of survival, since very young kittens depend on their mother’s milk and warmth to stay alive.  
  

• The mother cat is often close by, just out of sight. She may be out hunting for food or shelter, moving her kittens one by one, or just hiding nearby to avoid humans. 
  

• Check the area for paw prints, strands of fur, droppings, or any other signs of a nearby cat. 
  

• You can also sprinkle flour around the nesting spot and leave for an hour or so. If the mother returns in the meantime, you’ll see new paw marks in the flour. 
  

Assess the Situation 

• If the kitten appears to be sick, injured, or in unstable condition, you should absolutely contact your local rescue, shelter, or veterinarian immediately before anything else.  
  

• If the kitten is in immediate danger such as being exposed to extreme weather, near traffic, or threatened by predators, relocate them to a safer area nearby so the mother can still find them. If there is no safer area nearby, it’s okay to take them home to put them in a safer position. 
  

• Even if seemingly healthy, a kitten that is cold to the touch, crying constantly, dirty, and underweight, is very likely to have been orphaned.  
  

• If the situation seems otherwise safe but the mother has still not returned after a significant amount of time, then it still may be necessary to step in and intervene. 
  

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When and How to Intervene Safely ​

When intervention becomes unavoidable, your first priority should be to provide the kitten with warmth, safety, and security. 

• Give the kitten somewhere safe to rest. Bring the kittens home and into a warm, quiet space with soft bedding to help stabilize their nervous system.  
  

• Even if you don’t have any cat supplies, a box with a soft blanket or a hot water bottle wrapped in a towel can provide warmth and safety for the kitten.  
  

• Feeding options:  
  

• Try feeding them a bit of wet kitten food, or some plain and unseasoned tuna or chicken.  
  

• No matter what, do not feed them cow’s milk as it can cause diarrhea and dehydration. If you have it, kitten replacement formula is the safest option, and if not goat’s milk may work in a pinch.  
  

Once the kitten is stable and safe, contact a veterinarian or local rescue as soon as you possibly can. You can also refer to a number of online resources for orphaned kittens.  ​

How the Community Can Help During Kitten Season ​

Spaying & Neutering 

• Spaying and neutering cats is key to reducing future litters. Just one unspayed cat and her offspring can end up birthing hundreds of kittens over several years. 
  

• Pets from most shelters and sanctuaries, including Fat Kitty City, are already sterilized and vaccinated. With the rising cost of vet care, this could save you hundreds of dollars, and will ensure your pet doesn’t add to the kitten season crisis. 
  

• If your cat is not sterilized yet, there are many low-cost mobile clinics, shelters, and non-profit organizations that can help at a discounted rate. 
  

Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) 

• TNR is a humane method for managing community cat populations. It involves trapping cats, spaying or neutering them, vaccinating them against diseases like rabies, and then returning them to their original location.  
  

• If you find a stray or feral adult cat that is not sterilized, TNR is the best option to improve their life and to manage the community cat population. 
  

• Although we don’t offer TNR at Fat Kitty City, there are still many local organizations that you can call for help, such as the Sacramento SPCA.  ​
  

Support Local Rescue Efforts ​

During kitten season, rescues and shelters can use all the help they can get. The sudden influx of kittens stretches their resources thin, but your support can make a huge difference. 
Volunteer  

• Shelters need extra hands during kitten season, so why not offer yours? Whether it’s bottle-feeding, cleaning enclosures, helping with transport, or socializing, any help you can offer can make life easier for both the staff and the kittens. 
  

• Even administrative help like answering phone calls, planning and coordinating adoption events, or helping with outreach efforts can take pressure off of staff and help spread awareness. Get in touch to know more about volunteering opportunities with cats.  
  

Foster 

• Fostering is one of the most valuable contributions you can make. Providing a temporary home allows shelters to free up space and gives kittens a safe, loving environment to grow until they’re ready for adoption.  
  

• Many rescues, inclucing Fat Kitty City, will provide you with all the supplies you need. You just need to give the kittens your time and love – for everything else, there are plenty of resources on how to become a kitten foster. 
  

 
Donate 

• Kittens also go through enormous amounts of formula, wet food, litter, and blankets. Donating even a small amount of these essentials helps rescues focus their budgets on medical care. 
  

 
Spread the Word 

• Share this blog to help friends and neighbors learn what to do if they find a stray kitten. 
  

• Encourage responsible pet ownership and spay/neuter to help end kitten season’s cycle once and for all. 
  

• Tell friends and family about fostering or volunteering opportunities near them and encourage them to help out in their spare time as well
  

FAQ

Q: How long can kittens survive without a mother cat? 
A: Very young kittens can deteriorate very quickly without their mother’s warmth, nutrition, and care. Depending on their age, kittens can only be left alone for 3 hours up to one day before their health is in critical condition.  
Q: What is the best way to care for a stray kitten? 
A: Keep the kitten warm, feed an appropriate diet (KMR or wet kitten food depending on age), and provide a safe, quiet space. Contact a veterinarian or rescue as soon as possible to ensure the kitten gets proper medical care and a plan for adoption. 
Q: How do I keep kittens warm? 
A: Use a box or carrier lined with soft blankets and place a heating pad or hot water bottle wrapped in a towel nearby (not directly under them). Newborns cannot regulate their body temperature, so a consistent source of warmth is essential. 
Q: When should kittens go to a shelter? 
A: Contact a shelter or rescue if they’re sick, injured, or truly orphaned—but fostering at home is often better if they’re healthy. 
Q: When can kittens be adopted? 
A: Kittens typically go to adoptive homes between 8–12 weeks old, depending on development and local regulations. Interested in adding a kitten to your family? Check out our kittens for adoption list.  ​