Athena
TIS THE SEASON …
KITTEN & PUPPY THAT IS !
By The Louisiana SPCA
In Louisiana , we love our seasons . We have the classic spring , summer , winter , and fall , but we also have additional seasons like Mardi Gras , festival , and crawfish . What you may not realize is that there is another season , little known outside of the animal welfare world : kitten and puppy season .
Imagine a season of soft , cuddly , baby animals , each with their little yips and meows . While puppies and kittens are absolutely adorable and a litter of each sounds like literal heaven , it ’ s a rough season for animal shelters . Each spring animal shelters across the country see a sharp uptick in the number of litters of puppies and kittens that arrive at their doors .
In northern climates , this season may be limited to late spring and summer . Here in the Deep South , the season can stretch from very early spring , or even late winter if it is warm
32 enough to the end of fall . The Louisiana SPCA took in 973 kittens and 186 puppies in 2020 and all needed food , shelter , medical care and someone to provide those things .
Why does this extra kitten and puppy season happen ? Warmer temperatures , combined with a large population of intact ( not spayed or neutered ) male and female stray animals , lead to an increase in breeding activity , and thus an increase in the number of litters being born . It is true that puppies and kittens are born yearround ; however , during the spring , summer and often well into the fall , open-admission shelters are pushed beyond their limit .
Just like humans , if a family does not have a home , it is much more difficult for them to survive . Some of these litters are orphaned or abandoned . Sometimes , a kitten is found alone or injured . Litters of puppies may be rescued
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