from unsafe situations . Other times , nursing mother cats are brought in with their kittens . In the best scenario , the animals are healthy and old enough to be spayed or neutered and put up for adoption .
However , most of these puppies and kittens will require extended stays in the shelter , either because they are too young to be placed for adoption , or because they are ill or injured . Some litters brought in without their mothers will be too young to eat on their own and will require bottle feeding and more intensive care . It is a labor of love to care for and raise the young animals , sometimes only days or hours old , but it can be very stressful once resources such as space , staff , food , medications and time become stretched thin , and animals continue to enter the shelter .
If you find a litter of kittens that are not in immediate danger and are warm , watch to make sure the litter is truly orphaned . You may have discovered the nest while the mother was hunting for food or in the process of moving the babies . You will need to watch from a distance so that the mother is not too nervous to return and keep in mind that she may be gone for several hours .
If the litter is truly orphaned , bringing the litter to a shelter or caring for them yourself will give them their best chance at survival . If you decide to raise the litter yourself , your veterinarian or the team at the Louisiana SPCA can help you learn how best to feed and care for them .
If you would like to help shelters during kitten season , items such as kitten and puppy meal replacer formula , bottles , wet and dry kitten and puppy food , kitty litter and heating pads are always in short supply and make excellent donations . We recommend asking if the organization you are interested in helping has a wish list of items to ensure they are getting the items they need most .
But the good news is this : it does not have to be this way . Communities can do their part to improve kitten and puppy season . So much of the heartbreak of kitten season is preventable by spaying or neutering animals . It is the first step in overcoming pet overpopulation . When even a single cat is spayed or neutered , we are preventing the suffering of thousands of animals . Over a six-year period , an unaltered female dog , her mate , and their offspring can be
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