What To Do About Kittens

Every year starting in late winter, thousands of outdoor/unowned cats give birth to kittens across Prince George’s County.  Many kittens don’t survive, but a large number of kittens do.  These kittens create any number of problems for homeowners, business owners, property managers, and colony caregivers.  The problems caused by the presence of kittens vary depending on the circumstances and the humans involved, so each case is unique.  Advice and assistance for your case must be tailored to your needs in order to be helpful.  If you need information, advice, or assistance regarding kittens, don’t wait until the problem becomes urgent to call local TNVR Groups.  During this season, they are very busy assisting residents due to the large numbers of kittens.   Below are some general Do’s and Don’ts for kittens:

Do

 

Don’t

  • Move or disturb (except in case of imminent danger)
  • Wait to seek assistance and advice

Kitten Aging

When you call your local cat group for help about kittens you have found, it is extremely helpful if you can provide a reasonably accurate age for the kittens. Kittens are completely blind, deaf, and unable to walk when they are born. If you see kittens running around in your yard, they are not newborns. The chart below created by The Kitten Lady is an excellent resource for aging kittens.

Raising Young Kittens

If you find an orphan kitten and decide to raise it yourself, you should keep in mind that this is a sizable commitment of both time and money. Newborn kittens cannot feed themselves, pee or poop on their own, or maintain their body temperature on their own. They must be monitored and have these bodily functions attended to every two hours. Kittens of all ages generally have parasites and often get sick from viruses. All of this costs money to treat. Even with the best care not all of them will make it so you need to be prepared for possible loss.

 

Older kittens found outdoors are generally “feral” meaning they are wild and not used to humans. They require constant human interaction to become socialized and “tame.”  Kittens older than 8 weeks of age may never fully socialize.

 

If you decide to raise the kitten yourself, we strongly recomend checking out The Kitten Lady’s website for instructional information.