Welcome to kitten season, when animal shelters need all the help they can get
Share this @internewscast.com

NEW YORK (AP) — At around six weeks of age, Strawberry, Blueberry, JoJo, and Mazzy were rescued from the confines of metal pipes at a storage unit company’s parking lot. Meanwhile, a lone kitten named Meatball was found residing in a chilly garage alongside a group of semi-feral adult cats.

Conversely, Spaghetti, Macaroni, and Rigatoni were only two weeks old when they were brought in by the kind volunteers at LIC Feral Feeders, a cat rescue organization in Queens. These tiny kittens were bottle-fed until they gained enough strength to thrive.

Consider these cuties the face of kitten season 2025.

Kitten season generally occurs during the warmer periods of the year when most cats give birth. This leads to a significant increase in the number of kittens, particularly fragile newborns. As a result, shelters often find themselves overwhelmed, especially with the round-the-clock care and feeding required for these very young kittens.

That, as a result, triggers a need for more foster homes because many of the 4,000 or so shelters in the U.S. don’t have the time or resources for around-the-clock care, said Hannah Shaw, an animal welfare advocate known as the Kitten Lady with more than a million followers on Instagram.

“We see about 1.5 million kittens entering shelters every year. And most of them will come into shelters during May and June,” she said. “Shelters need all hands on deck to help out through fostering.”

Familiarity with fostering animals is high, Shaw said. The act of doing it is a different story. There’s a false perception, she said, that the expense of fostering animals falls on the people who step up to do it. These days, many shelters and rescues cover the food, supplies and medical costs of fostering.

“A lot of people don’t foster because they think it’s going to be this huge cost, but fostering actually only costs you time and love,” she said.

Lisa Restine, a Hill’s Pet Nutrition veterinarian, said people looking to adopt kittens should take pairs since cats often bond early in life. And how many cats is too many cats per household?

“This is nothing serious or medical but my general rule of thumb is the number of adults in the house, like a 2-to-1 ratio, because you can carry one cat in each hand, so if there are two adults you can have four cats and still be sane,” she said.

Square footage to avoid territory disputes is a good rule of thumb when planning for cats, Restine said. Two cats per 800 square feet then 200 square feet more for each addition should help, she said.

Littermates, like Macaroni and Rigatoni, are much more likely to bond, Restine said. Kittens not biologically related but raised together often bond as well — like Meatball and Spaghetti. But adopters hoping to bond an adult cat with a new kitten arrival may be disappointed.

“Once they’re over that 3- or 4-month mark, it’s hard to get that true bonding,” Restine said.

Typically, kittens stay in their foster homes from a few weeks to a few months. While statistics are not kept on the number of kitten fosters that “fail” — when foster families decided to keep their charges — some shelters report rates as high as 90%. That’s a win, despite use of the word “fail,” advocates note.

Shaw sees another barrier holding people back from fostering: the notion that it requires special training or skills. That’s why she has dedicated her life to educating the public, offering videos, books and research on how it works at her site kittenlady.org.

Companies are coming on board, too. Hill’s, a pet food company, runs the Hill’s Food, Shelter & Love program. It has provided more than $300 million in food support to over 1,000 animal shelters that support fostering in North America.

“About a quarter of a million kittens, unfortunately, don’t survive in our shelters every year,” Shaw said. “The shelter’s going to be there to mentor and support you. So I think a lot of the fear that people have about fostering, they might find that actually it is something you totally can do. It’s just scary because you haven’t done it yet.”

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like
Jury deliberations begin in Harvey Weinstein's sex crimes retrial in New York City

Jury Starts Deliberating in Harvey Weinstein’s NYC Sexual Assault Retrial

NEW YORK — A jury began deliberations on Thursday for Harvey Weinstein’s…
A BM-21 Grad multiple rocket launcher firing a missile.

Putin Plans Major Triple-Front Assault on Ukraine in an Attempt to Secure Victory, Despite Heavy Losses Nearing One Million

VLADIMIR Putin is plotting a final killer offensive along three fronts to…
The Baked Bear is serving up ice cream sandwiches all over San Francisco, including Warriors' Thrive City

The Baked Bear is bringing ice cream sandwiches to various locations in San Francisco, including Warriors’ Thrive City

The Bay Area has a longstanding tradition with ice cream sandwiches, and…
American Airlines plane that caught fire had engine parts installed incorrectly, NTSB finds

NTSB Reveals Incorrect Installation of Engine Parts in American Airlines Fire Incident

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! The American Airlines flight…
Trump vs Musk feud forces allies to take sides as questions swirl over Elon ‘olive branch’ and X rant fallout

The Conflict Between Trump and Musk Compels Supporters to Choose Sides Amid Speculation About Elon’s ‘Olive Branch’ and the Consequences of an Argument on Platform X

THE feud between President Donald Trump and Elon Musk has forced lawmakers…
Renna O'Rourke dies attempting dangerous online 'dusting' challenge

Tragic Incident: Renna O’Rourke Passes Away During Hazardous ‘Dusting’ Challenge

A fame-seeking teenager died attempting an alarming social-media challenge called “dusting,” according…
Latest Attack on Elon and DOGE Involving PBS Contributor and Bono May Be Most Disgusting Yet

Dear Elon Musk: A Public Message

It’s been challenging to escape the intense Twitter (or X, if that’s…
TNT Cleaning Solutions owner says village of Dolton owes her nearly $13K, could lose business

TNT Cleaning Solutions Owner Claims Nearly $13K Owed by Dolton, Business at Risk

DOLTON, Ill. (WLS) — A local cleaning company says the village of…
Pope makes plea for peace with Ukraine in call with Putin

Pope Urges Peace in Ukraine During Call with Putin

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! In his first conversation…
LA28 organizers confident Trump's latest travel ban won't affect Los Angeles Olympics

LA28 Organizers Assure That Trump’s Recent Travel Ban Won’t Impact Los Angeles Olympics

LOS ANGELES — The preparations for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles…
Genevieve Meehan was found unresponsive and blue at Tiny Toes Nursery in Cheadle Hulme

A Heartbreaking Loss: My Baby Suffocated After Being Strapped Facedown by a Cruel Nursery Manager – She Was Gone Before I Was Notified

A HEARTBROKEN mum has broken her silence after her baby girl was…
Selfie of a woman wearing glasses and a tie.

A 36-year-old pregnant teacher, accused of grooming and having a sexual relationship with a 15-year-old student, breaks down in tears during court hearing.

A PREGNANT teacher accused having sex with a 15-year-old pupil after grooming…