Annual surge of kitten arrivals at animal shelters, demanding increased aid and support.
Kitten Season Greets Unwanted Guests in Abundance
Hustle and bustle of NYC, not just for humans! Meet Strawberry, Blueberry, JoJo, Mazzy, Meatball, Spaghetti, Macaroni, and Rigatoni — our feline stars for Kitten Season 2025. These felines arrived in unique scenarios, but all finding their way to safety and love.
Warm temperatures call forth kitten season, the time when most cats give birth. The result is a staggering influx of infant kittens, often frail and in need of specialized care. Shelters find themselves overwhelmed, particularly when grappling with round-the-clock care for the tiniest of neonates [1][2].
Hannah Shaw, an animal welfare champion — also known as the Kitten Lady — with over a million Instagram followers, emphasizes the enormity of this issue. "We see about 1.5 million kittens entering shelters every year," she explained. "Most of them will come into shelters during May and June." Shelters scramble for support as they strive to provide foster homes [2].
Popular misconceptions about fostering persist, namely the belief that caregivers incur financial burdens. However, many shelters and rescues absorb food, supply, and medical costs related to fostering [2]. As Hannah Shaw professed, "Fostering actually only costs you time and love."
Considering the influx of kittens during this period, seasoned roommates do great benefits. Lisa Restine, a veteran in the veterinary field, advises adopting pairs of kittens to capitalize on bonding opportunities. A 2-to-1 ratio of cats to adults in a household is a general guideline to ensure a comfortable living situation [2].
Littermates like Macaroni and Rigatoni form close bonds, but kitten dynamics extend beyond the genetic line. Kittens raised together create attachments even if not biologically related, such as Spaghetti and Meatball [3].
Bonding an adult cat with a new kitten is possible, but it's tricky. Lisa suggests that an age of around four months is the cutoff for optimal bonding. After this, creating a deep bond may become more elusive [3].
Fostering careers often unfold in installments, with kittens spending weeks to months in foster homes before finding permanent abodes. However, statistics regarding the success rate of fostering are not well-documented. One striking factor is that failure is often misconstrued as the decision to keep the foster kittens. In the eyes of advocates, such instances are victories rather than setbacks [4].
Fostering newcomers calls for confidence, but it doesn't require specialized skills. The fear that deters many potential fosters can be alleviated through education and resources like the Kitten Lady's website (kittenlady.org) [4].
Some companies, like Hill's Pet Nutrition, take it upon themselves to foster support. Their Hill's Food, Shelter & Love program offers resources and fundraising assistance to animal shelters, ultimately bolstering their fostering capacity. Presently, the program has distributed over $300 million in food support to over 1,000 shelters in North America [4].
Though daunting, fostering plays a vital role in the lives of countless kittens during Kitten Season. It offers a temporary sanctuary, paving the way for a permanent home and a promising future.
In the heart of Kitten Season, providing a home-and-garden for a kitten in need can significantly improve their lifestyle and chances of future adoption. With the right support from shelters and resources like the Hill's Pet Nutrition's Food, Shelter & Love program, fostering a kitten may not even require a substantial pension. Instead, it calls for time, love, and the passion to make a difference in a kitten's life, potentially leading to lifelong bonds with pets.
