By Dr. Crystal Sapp, Vice President, Veterinary Medicine
Michigan Humane’s Better Together series celebrates the connection between people and their pets. We recognize that the human-animal bond can extend far beyond one home or family. There are many ways in which this relationship is already being integrated into other aspects of our daily lives. Every month Better Together will explore different aspects of our community that elevate the relationship between pets and people. From workplaces and businesses to events and activities, we aim to highlight the importance of these places and organizations that are paving the way for a more humane community.
Seasons are, for the most part, a predictable part of our year here in Michigan. We experience all four seasons (to some extent) and we see them around the same time of year, each year. The same is true for our shelter population when we consider cats and kittens. While we typically have cats and kittens entering our shelters throughout the year, we also experience what we refer to as “kitten season” every year.
The warmup and increased sunlight from winter to spring not only activate our plant life but also encourage animals to breed and give birth when it will be most advantageous for their young to survive. This leads to an influx of kittens in our communities and shelters starting around February-March and going until around October each year.
As with many species, newborn/very young kittens depend on their mother to care for them (feed, clean, stimulate release of urine/feces) as well as protect them. When kittens under the age of four weeks enter our shelter without a mother, they need around-the-clock care – feedings, cleanings, help eliminating waste, etc. These young felines are the most vulnerable population as they also have very immature immune systems, which makes them more susceptible to disease. Although we start preventive care early and our shelters have high-tech HVAC units to ensure air is exchanged multiple times every minute, increased animal populations raise the risk for disease transmission and death. While older kittens are more self-reliant, they are still at a similar risk of disease transmission when they are housed in the shelter.
This is where our team of amazing fosters comes in! We are fortunate to have a foster team and group of foster families that take kittens of all ages to help them thrive and grow until they are big and old enough to undergo sterilization (spay/neuter) and go up for adoption. 57% of the animals fostered at Michigan Humane in 2023 were neonatal kittens under 8 weeks of age.
Kittens need to be about 2 lbs in order for them to safely undergo sterilization surgery, which is usually around 6-8 weeks of age. We have options for our fosters that allow them to help kittens at any stage or age they can handle. Some enjoy and have the capacity to take on bottle kittens, while others are more able to take kittens that just need time, food and space to grow. Some fosters are even able to take moms and kittens (which is easier than bottle babies as mom does all the work). We provide food, supplies and care for these kittens until they are able to return to the shelter for sterilization and adoption. The unfortunate problem is that we just don’t have enough fosters for the number of kittens that are brought in every year.
If there are two things I’d like you to take away from this blog, it’s that:
- Many folks want to help when they see a litter of young kittens and unfortunately, these good intentions can actually put kittens in greater danger. What many people don’t realize is that the safest plan for the kittens ― and one that also decreases the burden on shelters ― is to leave the kittens where they are, keep an eye out for the mother cat’s return to make sure she’s caring for her babies and, once they’re old enough, humanely catch the family for spay/neuter surgery.
- We truly appreciate all that our fosters do to help us save the lives of our most vulnerable population every year and we are always looking for more!
How to Get Involved
Foster
Last year, our fosters cared for 1,211 kittens under 4 months of age.
Join our foster community and become an In-Home Hero for kittens in need. To learn more about the specific care kittens need, please utilize our Foster Training Series!
Donate
Our Kitten Registry includes supplies that young kittens need while on their journey to adoption. These items are used directly by our medical teams as well as our fosters so the kittens in our shelters receive the best care possible.
Adopt
Once a kitten is old enough, they are ready to find their forever home! Check out who is available for adoption and bring home a new feline companion from Michigan Humane.