Spring has finally found its way to the Gloucester-Mathews Humane Society. The grass is greener, the flowers are blooming, and days are nice and sunny. For GMHS, the arrival of spring also means kitten season. With warmer weather comes an influx of pregnant cats and kittens.
You might be wondering what to do if you stumble across kittens born in your community. Please leave them be! Kittens stand the best chance at life when they have their mother to take care of them. If you find a kitten(s), it is best to watch them from a distance and make sure mama is around. Mama must eat, too! She will go out to find food for herself but always comes back to feed her babies if she is able. If Mama returns and she and her kittens look healthy and are not injured, leave them where they are. If you wait four to six hours and Mama still does not return, then it is best to take the kittens in and bottle-feed them or bring them to GMHS. If you find kittens and need our help, please call 804-693-5520.
Here are some additional ways you, fellow community members, and life-saving partners can help during kitten season:
—Spay or neuter your cats and any community cats living in your neighborhood. Female cats as young as five months can become pregnant! Until your cat is spayed or neutered, it is safest to keep them inside to avoid accidental pregnancies. GMHS’s Fixin’ to Save Spay & Neuter Clinic at White Marsh offers no- and low-cost spay/neuter surgeries. Appointments can be made by visiting fixintosave.org.
—Help your local shelter by donating supplies, money or time. Supplies like kitten replacement formula and Purina Kitten Chow are always needed. You can help GMHS care for litters of kittens as a foster volunteer. This keeps kittens out of the shelter while they are too young for adoption and the most susceptible to illness.
—The final way you can help your local shelter during kitten season is to adopt. Not only will you provide a rescue pet with a loving home, but you will also free up space at the shelter for another pet in need. The GMHS Adoption Team will assist you with meeting the pet that is right for you and your family. You can view all adoptable pets at gmhumanesociety.org or visit our shelter Tuesday through Sunday from noon to 5 p.m.
Thank you for partnering with GMHS and sharing your heart for homeless pets with us and wonderful cats and kittens.