1. Observe
If you find kittens who are alone, determine if the mother has abandoned them or if she is just off looking for food. The only way to find this out is to wait. Often times, she will return within a few hours. Observe from a distance or a hidden spot to be sure she is not returning before moving the kittens. Use common sense and be patient.
2. You See Mom!
Remember that the BEST option is to always leave the kittens with their mother.
The best thing for the family is to leave the kittens where they are for now as long as the location is safe. Remember, the mother is best able to care for her kittens. You can assist in providing food, water, and shelter. Monitor the family daily and make the environment as safe for them as you can.
When the kittens are out exploring on their own, this is the optimal age to bring them out of the field and to a shelter for socialization, health checkup and spay-neuter.
After you bring the kittens in, many shelters like Charleston Animal Society, will provide a trap for you to catch mom. She can be brought in for spay-neuter and then returned to the field.
3. You Don’t See Mom.
If the mother cat doesn’t come back after 8 hours, and you think she has abandoned the kittens or they are in danger, you can choose one of several options.
- Raise them yourself
- Bring them to your local county shelter for fostering
- If old enough (6 weeks or more) they can be trapped, spayed-neutered and returned to the field.
Whichever decision you make, your local shelter will be able to help walk you through the process.