Spring… the season of tulips, lilies, daffodils, and kittens, kittens, & kittens!
The arrival of spring and warmer weather ushers in “kitten season” which usually peaks in late spring or early summer. Local rescues and shelters have or will have lots of cute, cuddly newborn kittens to care for. There is a tremendous need for fosters willing to open their hearts and homes to these little fur balls who need lots of love & TLC.
Kitten season is really three seasons in one. In our area it peaks in March, with another peak in June and July, and then again in October and November. Weather regulates the heat cycle in cats; an unspayed cat can experience heat cycles from early spring until late fall. They can come into heat every two to three weeks, for seven to 10 days and if she does not mate, she will continue repeating the heat cycle until she does mate, or is spayed, or the cycle becomes dormant due to the short, darker days of late fall and winter.
Why does kitten season occur? Of course, we can blame the warm weather but the real cause is that there are too many cats that are not spayed or neutered. The best way reduce the overwhelming numbers of unwanted cats is to have your cat spayed or neutered and encourage other cat owners to do the same!
June is Adopt-A-Cat Month®
Each spring during “kitten season,” lots of newborn kittens join the ranks of available cats for adoption. Any month is a good month to adopt a cat but June, American Humane’s Adopt-a-Cat Month®, is a great time because you will have a marvelous selection. There will be cats and kittens in all colors, sizes, and breeds ranging from cuddly newborns to more mature older ones and everything in between. If you are thinking about getting a cat now is a good time. In addition to the great selection you’ll create space for another cat or kitten.
The Adopt-A-Cat Month® annual campaign is part of a larger effort by American Humane to help focus on and solve the unique challenges cats face today. Cats are more likely to be euthanized than dogs.
www.americanhumane.org/initiative/adopt-a-cat-month/
Adopting a cat might not be an option for you now, however, consider doing one or more of the following things to help out during kitten season:
- Foster
- Donate money to a shelter or rescue or find out what is on their Wish List
- Volunteer
- Share available cats on your personal social media sites.
- Share cat adoption articles on your personal social media sites.