March 7, 2025 Back Home

A Get-Ready Guide for Kitten Season

If you love cats, you might think kitten season sounds like a magical time filled with tiny toe beans and fluffy cuddles. 

And yes, it is adorable, but it’s also one of the busiest, most overwhelming times for shelters, rescues, and cat lovers everywhere. 

So, what exactly is kitten season, and how can you help? Let’s dive in!

While a pile of kittens might sound like a dream, the reality is that shelters become overcrowded, resources get stretched thin, and many kittens struggle to survive without human intervention. That’s where you come in!

How You Can Help During Kitten Season

Even if you’re not working at a shelter, or volunteering at a rescue operation, there’s multiple ways to help from the comfort of your own living room.

Bonus: Spayed and neutered cats are generally healthier and less likely to host midnight yowling concerts outside your window.

2. Foster: Become a Temporary Cat Parent

Shelters get packed during kitten season, and many of these tiny furballs need round-the-clock care. Fostering gives kittens a safe space to grow and learn social skills until they’re ready for adoption. Plus, you get to play with kittens and call it “volunteering.” Win-win!

3. Donate Supplies (or Cash, Because Cash Buys Supplies)

Shelters go through a ridiculous amount of kitten supplies during this time. If you can, donate essentials like:

• 🐾 Kitten formula (for those who need bottle-feeding)
• 🐾 Canned kitten food
• 🐾 Heating pads
• 🐾 Litter and tiny litter boxes
• 🐾 Soft blankets and towels
• 🐾 Cleaning supplies (because kittens are adorable but also very, very messy)

Or, if you don’t have time to shop, a financial donation lets shelters get exactly what they need.

4. Learn What to Do If You Find a Litter

If you stumble across a litter of kittens, resist the urge to kitten-nap them immediately. There’s a chance their mom is probably nearby, and she’s their best chance of survival. 

Observe from a distance—if she doesn’t return within a few hours, then it’s time to step in and contact a rescue.

5. Adopt—Because One More Cat Won’t Hurt, Right?

If you’ve been thinking about getting a cat, kitten season is the perfect time to adopt. Shelters have more kittens than they know what to do with, and finding them loving homes is the ultimate goal.

If you’re full up on cats, and can’t handle any more, perhaps you can help spread the word to your buddies who might be willing to help?

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Kitten season is chaotic, adorable, and a little overwhelming, but with your help, it can also be a time of rescue, growth, and new beginnings.

Whether you foster, donate, adopt, or just spread the word, every little bit helps. So gear up, cat lovers—it’s kitten season, and those tiny meows aren’t going to take care of themselves!