CHARITY BRACES ITSELF FOR ‘KITTEN SEASON’
Kitten season, when most litters of kittens are born, runs from May to September and often sees charities like the RSPCA overwhelmed with cats and kittens coming into its rescue centres.
Cats were the second most rescued animal by the RSPCA in 2020, with its centres and branches taking in 22,360 cats. Last year, the charity also dealt with 9,633 abandoned cats and at this time of year, sees lots of abandoned kittens sometimes found in cardboard boxes, bins, or by roadsides as their owners can no longer care for them or weren’t expecting a litter.
RSPCA’s cat welfare expert Alice Potter said:“Charities like the RSPCA are often left picking up the pieces of kitten season with lots of cats and kittens coming into our care. Some of the mums and their litters coming into our care are stray cats that are picked up by our officers, but what we see all too often are unexpected litters of kittens being abandoned or given up because their owners didn’t plan on their cats getting pregnant and realise they can’t cope. Kittens may look cute, but they are very complex and expensive to care for.
“With an estimated 70 per cent of litters being unplanned (according to the 2017 PDSA PAW Report) this means rescue centres can fill up very quickly.This situation has been unfolding for several years but we’re concerned that the lockdown could have made the plight of unwanted kittens even worse.
“The concern is that all those people who have bought a cat or kitten during the past year will have struggled to get them neutered as many vets have, understandably, had to prioritise emergencies.This means we are worried there will be lots more cats out there having kittens.”
The RSPCA and other charities believe the key to tackling this overpopulation crisis is to neuter cats from four months old before they can become pregnant in the first place. Many people may not realise that their cat can become pregnant even when she is really only a kitten herself.
The charity therefore urges cat owners to speak to their vets about prepubertal neutering and to keep any unneutered cats indoors with plenty to entertain them.