Neonatal Kitten Nursery Program
The Neonatal Kitten Nursery Program is a unique and creative approach to saving an entire class of especially fragile, homeless animals. The program targets orphaned, unweaned kittens that were fated for euthanasia at many area shelters.
Each year, especially during the breeding season (which spans from March to October), shelters are overwhelmed with orphaned kittens. Prior to Animal Ark Rescue introduction of the Kitten Program, nearly all of these kittens were euthanized because neither the shelters nor local rescue groups in the community could provide the intensive care that these special little ones need to survive. By feeding, treating and providing shelter to kittens that would have otherwise been euthanized, this nursery fills the gap in the shelter community that is necessary to save the lives of thousands of kittens each year.
Kittens Without A Mom
If the kittens aren’t weaned, and you take them in without a mother, they will require round-the-clock care and routine bottle feeding (every 2-3 hours, even overnight). Search “how to care for unweaned kittens” and you will find a multitude of great resources to help you feed the kittens.
Young kittens without their mother need to be kept warm and should not be bathed.
If you cannot do this, you can try asking friends or family for help.
I Found Kittens! What do I do?
If you find young kittens without their mom, it does not automatically mean they have been abandoned by their mother. The mother could be out looking for food, or finding a more suitable home for her kittens. If you find one or two kittens, their mother may be in the process of moving the family and is on her way back for the others.
Wait and observe from a distance for an hour or two.
In each situation, you will ultimately have to use your own judgment to decide how to handle the kittens, depending upon the litter’s needs and your time and resources.
Keep the following in mind when deciding what to do next:
- Kittens have the best chance of survival with their mother.
- If you bring the cats inside you should keep them separate from your animals until evaluated by a veterinarian.
- For proper social development, kittens should be kept with their litter (and mother, if possible) until at least 8 weeks of age.
KIttens with a Friendly Mother
If the mother does return, and she is friendly, the best approach is to take her with her kittens indoors until the kittens are old enough to be weaned, sterilized, and adopted. Momma should then be spayed and either placed in an adoptive home or returned to her territory.
Interested in fostering kittens?
If you would like to help by fostering kittens during kitten season, please complete a foster application using the link below. During kitten season, we receive kittens almost daily and are always in need of foster homes.
