KITTEN SEASON HAS ARRIVED
Did you know?
Stray or abandoned mama cats often give birth outdoors; people find kittens in their yards or garages or work sites, and bring them to shelters. By state law, kittens cannot be adopted from a shelter until they are at least 8 weeks old, which is when they are fully weaned and no longer need their mamas to survive. But many kittens are brought to shelters when they are less than 8 weeks old (they are referred to as underage kittens); some are brought in with their mama cat. Because the vast majority of kittens are born between April-June and brought to shelters during that time, shelters quickly fill up with underage kittens, and run out of cage space to hold kittens until they reach 8 weeks of age and can be adopted. Shelters are forced to either 1) place kittens in foster homes until they are 8 weeks old (IF foster homes are available), or 2) contact rescue groups to take the kittens, or 3) euthanize the kittens.
Here's where you can help: Volunteer with a shelter or rescue group to foster a cat or kitten (remember, adult cats need homes too!), or contribute money to support the animals in foster care. The shelter or rescue group will train you on how to properly care the cat or kitten, and will provide food and supplies, and veterinary care if the cat or kitten gets ill.
Local shelters are Pets In Need, HSSV, SVACA, San Jose Animal Care Center (SJACC) and the County of Santa Clara Animal Shelter. Local rescue groups can be found by searching PetFinder.com. San Jose Animal Care and Services (SJACC) is the largest shelter in the County, and its cages quickly fill up, and it euthanizes cats and kittens. Two of our favorite rescue groups, the Dancing Cat and Town Cats take kittens and cats from SJACC that are at risk of being euthanized. Both are great groups, and need your support.
Itty Bitty Orphan Kitty Rescue specializes in the care of tiny orphaned and abandoned neonatal kittens: these are kittens that are rescued when they are newly born and the mom cat has abandoned them. The baby kits require round-the-clock feeding and care to survive. The kittens from this group are quite sweet, since they have been handled and loved from a very early age.