06/13/2026
The first thing you should do when you find kittens may surprise you.
It’s kitten season and every year people find litters of kittens and immediately want to help.
That instinct comes from a good place.
But the first step is not always picking them up.
Mother cats often leave their kittens for several hours at a time while searching for food and water.
If the kittens appear clean, quiet, and reasonably healthy, there is a good chance mom is still caring for them.
Before intervening, ask yourself:
🐾 Are the kittens warm?
🐾 Are they sleeping quietly?
🐾 Do they appear clean and well-fed?
🐾 Can you observe from a distance for a period of time to see if mom returns?
One of the hardest lessons during kitten season is that not every litter needs rescuing.
Sometimes the best thing we can do is give mom the opportunity to come back.
Shelters and rescues are overwhelmed this time of year and resources are limited. That makes informed decisions more important than ever.
Helping is not always about acting quickly.
Sometimes helping means slowing down, gathering information and making sure intervention is truly needed.
Because the goal is not simply to save kittens.
The goal is to do what is best for the entire family.
🐾
Next we’ll talk about why finding homes is only one small piece of the rescue puzzle.
