What is “kitten season”?
When warmer weather arrives in the Spring, mother nature generally goes to work. Primarily taking place from March until October, “kitten season” is a reference to the time of year when most unaltered (not spayed) cats go into heat.
If an unaltered female cat meets an unaltered male cat and is impregnated, the female can give birth to a litter of kittens a mere 60 days after conception.
Do the math… that means an unaltered female cat could have multiple litters of kittens during a single season. And did you know a female cat can be successfully impregnated as young as 4 months of age? This is why most veterinarians recommend spaying/neutering cats as early as 8 weeks of age.
So what happens when countless litters of kittens start popping out all over the place?
Not a lot of good if humans don’t intervene. When food sources are limited babies face the risk of starvation if the mom is not be able to produce enough milk. A newborn kitten’s immune system is at high risk for illness and disease, not to mention predators such as coyotes, owls and hawks.
Shelters and rescues alike are inundated with kittens during this time of year, and without adequate space, supplies and skilled volunteers many kittens face euthanasia. This is where you can help!
LYFF Rescue – who incidentally is gearing up to save 500 kittens this year (WOW) – is hosting a KITTEN SHOWER at our Cat Lounge the last weekend of this month and you can join!
What do you do at a kitten shower?
Here’s a quick rundown:
- Play with 20 + kittens
- Learn how to bottle feed kittens (BE STILL MY HEART)
- Learn how rescues are working to save more kittens
- Learn the importance of spaying/neutering
- Adopt a kitten… or 2!
All you have to do is buy a ticket and bring a donated item to support LYFF Rescue (list is on the website). Super simple and SUPER fun, all while you are helping animals in need.