It will be kitten season soon and chances of coming across kitten litters will be really high during the spring season. Most of us fall in love with these tiny creatures and want to bring them home, but would it be the right thing to do?
There are several factors that need to be understood before you can simply bring home the kittens. The most important thing is the age of the kittens. The one thing that you need to know is that kittens that have not been exposed to human touch or humans before they are a week old will not socialize and can’t be adopted.
By observing the kittens you will be able to guesstimate their age. Kittens generally open their eyes when they are eight days old, so if the kittens you find have their eyes closed, chances are you may be able to adopt them.
The next thing you need to look for is their mother. If she is around and caring for them, that’s the best care the kittens can get. Hang around for a couple of hours and see if the mother comes back.
She may be just out foraging for food. If she doesn’t, check the kitten’s for their age. If they are young enough to be socialized you may adopt them, but they will need 24×7 care.
Even if they are too old to be adopted and have still not been weaned, they will need the same care. If they are feral it would be best to trap them, neuter them and leave them back where they were found.
If the mother returns, check whether she is friendly or feral. If friendly you may like to move the mother and her brood indoors and take care of them, otherwise they will still need a little care but will have to be left where they are. Another thing that will need to be done is to trap the mother, have her neutered and returned to avoid further litters.
