JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – If you are an animal lover like I am, then you’re heading to want to soar in and aid if you locate a smaller, helpless animal who appears to be like it may well be in danger — or cold, damage or hungry. But that may not be the safest point for the animal.
The Jacksonville Humane Culture (JHS), together with the Town of Jacksonville’s Animal Care & Protective Assistance (ACPS), and First Coast No Additional Homeless Animals (FCNMHP) desires to give you guidelines and everyday living-saving information and facts on “what to do” when you uncover a litter of kittens during kitten year.
Kitten period is the time of 12 months when unfixed cats procreate and give start to kittens. As the climate warms, cats go into heat.
In accordance to Most effective Good friends Animal Culture, “In most locations across America, animals mate and give birth in spring. This phenomenon can be attributed to a variety of aspects, these as longer days, greater weather and a lot more entry to foods, which suggests increased survival fees for the offspring of lots of species. As opposed to other animals, though, cats can hold on reproducing, getting litter following litter suitable up right until the climate turns chilly once more. In several areas, kitten time can previous from spring until eventually early winter season.”
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In 2021, JHS and ACPS blended took in 6,349 kittens below the age of five months and JHS served an additional 596 by means of a software referred to as Kitten Krusaders, which can help group members who find kittens by providing veterinary care to maintain them out of the shelter.
When local community members come across a litter of kittens outside the house, it is generally instinctual to soar correct into “savior mode” and “rescue” these small cats. This idea has been given the moniker “kitnapping” and all a few organizations check with the public to not act on that intuition. Rather:
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If mom returns: Supply guidance (meals, drinking water, shelter) as wanted and when the kittens are 8 weeks old, get mother and kittens spayed/neutered and come across them properties.
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If mother does not return: A house is a improved option than the shelter. JHS can provide coaching on treatment guidelines and assist help your efforts to come across the kittens new residences after they are prepared.
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If kittens are suffering from a accurate medical crisis, such a battling to breath, open up wounds, or seen ribs/spine, ACPS can be achieved via 904-630-2489, myjax.custhelp.com or the MyJax app.
Kitnapping is not the very best alternative for kittens, mother cats and shelters.
Underage kittens are the most fragile population in shelters and involve excess time, labor and means that are not constantly out there. When underage kittens get there at the shelter, they most often have to go into a foster house the extremely very same day, putting an added pressure on staff members and volunteers. Also, when no one looks for the mom cat, she is still left alone to continue reproducing in the group.
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“If we can share the “Don’t kitnap kittens”message during our community, we can collectively do what is best for these minor kinds and keep them with their mother cat,” explained Denise Deisler, JHS CEO. “Together, we can conquer kitten season in Jacksonville!”
Group customers who want to enable with the “Don’t Kitnap” initiative can share this messaging on social media, indication-up to foster kittens in their residence at both shelter, or donate products through the kitten would like lists on shelter sites. Volunteers are also desired for all 3 companies.
Group customers can also add by participating in Lure-Neuter-Vaccinate-Return applications provided at To start with Coast No A lot more Homeless pets, which presents free and small-value spay or neuter surgical procedures for outdoor group cats.
For more information and facts, please take a look at jaxhumane.org/kittenhelp.
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