Help! I found kittens.
If you happen upon a litter of tiny kittens, it’s natural to want to scoop them up and bring them to safety, but thankfully human intervention is not typically required.
For the neonatal kittens that do come into our care, they will require extensive care from foster parents. Help us stock the shelter so that we can provide them everything they need.
Stop, watch, and wait.
Our guide can help you determine if a kitten or litter truly needs human intervention.
Monitor the situation
Did you know the shelter isn’t always the best place for kittens? Cat moms do what cat moms do best: care for their kittens. Staying with mom provides kittens the best chance for survival. If the kittens are not in immediate danger and appear healthy and clean, leave them alone and check back in a few hours.
If the kittens are in immediate danger, place them in a nearby safe, sheltered area where their mother can easily find them.
Wait for mom
Wait for mom to ensure that the kittens have a caretaker. The best place for a mom and her healthy kittens is to stay together where she is comfortable and taking good care of them. Once mom has been spotted, the best support you can provide to mom is in the form of access to food, water and shelter until the kittens are 8 weeks old and ready to be spayed and neutered! File a found report here and we would love to help offer supplies and support.
Pro tip: If you can’t watch in person, put a ring of flour around where the kittens are stashed to check for mom’s prints!
Time to step in
After you have monitored the kittens and are sure the mother has not returned, you can assume they have been abandoned. Please call our Community Sheltering Center at (828) 250-6430 for next steps. If you would like to foster or eventually adopt the kitten(s), we can help you learn proper neonate care, and provide you with important knowledge, formula, and tools to help these babies thrive!
Have questions? Call the Buncombe County Animal Shelter at (828) 250-6430. We’d be happy to help!
When to intervene
It's time to intervene if...
My fur is dirty and my bottom is inflamed.
I have crusty eyes and nasal discharge.
I am thin and malnourished.
I'm upset and noisy.
Don't intervene if....
I'm content and quiet.
My eyes are clear and I'm not congested.
My belly is full and round.
My fur is clean and dry.
If a kitten is cold, unresponsive, very thin, or appears unhealthy, DO NOT feed them. They will need medical care ASAP, so please bring them to Buncombe County Animal Shelter or your regular veterinarian if it is after hours.
When bringing to the Buncombe County Animal Shelter, please call 828-250-6430 and follow instructions for option 2 in order to let us know you're coming.
Resources
AHS resources
Paws off! While stumbling upon a pile of itty-bitty kittens might tug at your heartstrings, they usually don’t need rescuing! Mom is likely nearby and ready to care for them….but how do you know?
External resources
Learn about why we recommend what we do by reading the resources by other reputable animal welfare organizations! We are all working together to care for the kittens in our community.
- Taking the Fear Out of Bottle Feeding | Maddie's Fund and Kitten College
- Bottle Feeding Kittens (video) | Maddie's Fund and Kitten College
- Stimulating Kittens to Potty (video) | Maddie's Fund and Kitten College
- Best Practices: Community Cat Colony Care | Alley Cat Allies
- Let Mom and Kittens Thrive Outside | Alley Cat Allies
- Wait until 8 | Alley Cat Allies
- Why Trap-Neuter-Return is a good option | Alley Cat Allies
- I found kittens outside | ASPCA
- Kitten Care | Kitten Lady
- Colony Care | Neighborhood Cats
- Should I bring a kitten into my CASA? | Kitten Lady