09/10/2024
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/7aBhcDSYbFQgYCso/?mibextid=WC7FNe
The difference between ABANDONED and ALONE:
With the dropping temperatures, we are being inundated with many concerned callers who locate kittens unattended. People are jumping to the abandoned conclusion very, very quickly (out of good intentions!), but by doing so could actually harm the kittens they are trying to save.
Take a step back. Assess the situation before doing anything and think about a few things...
1. Is it 1 kitten alone or is it a full litter?
2. Are the kittens content, quiet, apparently calm? Or are the kittens crying, trying to move around, unsettled looking?
3. How long has it actually been since mom was seen?
4. How do you know mom is not near? What efforts were done to monitor the situation before intervening?
Young kittens cannot regulate their own body temperature, so the dropping night temperatures do bring on concerns. However, the truth remains constant that the kittens best survival chance is to remain with their mother. As soon as a kitten is removed from its mothers care, their survival chance drops below 30%.
For this reason, we will encourage all callers to give an honest effort to reunite that family and seek rescue help for the entire family. Never leave mom behind.
If a newborn kitten is found alone, crying, trying to move, or is beyond that point and is cold to touch, lethargic, not alert, those are signs that intervention may be necessary.
If kittens are found in a full litter, laying calmly, content, quiet, chances are very high that mom is nearby and probably watching your every move. Please do not disturb the nest in this situation and allow mom to do her thing, she knows what is best.
Be understanding that a mom cat needs to leave the nest from time to time to feed herself. She cannot nurse and raise a litter if she does not leave the nest. Some mom cats leave a nest for only minutes, while some leave for hours. This is NORMAL CAT BEHAVIOR. Just because a kitten is found alone, does not mean they are truly abandoned. There IS a difference. When you contact us for intact, we will ask a series of questions to determine whether or not the kitten is abandoned or if further efforts need to be made to reunite the kitten with it's mom. Even if we determine for the health and safety of that baby to pull/intake the kitten, we will require you to prove trapping efforts or we will follow up and confirm you are working with a rescue in your area to TNR that mom cat and prevent future litters. By taking kittens and not spaying mom, it is only enabling future litters being born into sufferage. TNR works.
Before doing anything, you need to form a plan. To encourage mom to return, we will instruct you to leave the nest intact, monitor from afar, and make the area quiet and undisturbed. If concerns are present about the kittens temperature, we may advise you to add a warm water bottle or hand warmer to the nest. We urge you to not trap a family, take kittens, without confirming rescue assistance or placement, or at least obtaining advice from a reputable rescue.
All rescues are full and operating over max capacity. Please DO NOT assume that "somebody" will take the kitten family from you. Please be prepared to setup a dog crate or temporarily house them while fosters are secured. All rescues are trying our best, help us help you help them.
The difference between Abandoned and Alone:
Alone means mom is near, hunting, feeding and caring for herself, she will be back and it is normal to leave kittens alone for a short time. Kittens will look cared for, fat bellies, calm, content, huddled in a kitten lump.
Abandoned means mom is not returning, something happened to her, if she truthfully abandoned the kittens there will be signs evident in the kittens health and behavior. Kittens will be scrambling in various directions, crying nonstop, appear upset or unsettled.
