Did you find a litter of kittens? Did your cat have kittens? Wondering what to do next? We’ve got you covered!
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If you don’t find the answers to your questions here, please contact our Pet Help Center team at [email protected].
When we find a litter of kittens, our good-hearted instincts tell us to jump in and help. Please don’t! Thankfully, human intervention is typically not required. In fact, the best thing you can do is leave the kittens alone. Mom will likely return shortly, and it’s critical that the kittens remain in her care as she offers the best chance for survival. If you are extremely certain that the kittens are orphaned, you can then step in and help by caring for the kittens until they’re old enough to find homes.
The chart below will help you determine what steps to take if you’ve found kittens.
We also recommend consulting this chart from Operation Catnip to determine whether or not the kittens you found need help.
Heroes keep kittens OUT of shelters. For help caring with your kitten, please use our resource library.
Due to the overwhelming number of kittens who come to our shelter on a daily basis, JHS cannot guarantee that we can take in any litter of kittens. Please practice “Don’t Kitnap” procedure. If you need additional resources to help you provide care for found kittens or find homes for them, please contact our team at [email protected].
Whether you want to help outdoor cats or find them a nuisance, Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) is the solution. This involves using a humane trap to trap the cat, bringing it to a clinic, having it spayed or neutered, and then returning the cat to where they were trapped. The cat will receive an “ear tip” to indicate it has been fixed. If you see a cat with an ear tip, leave it where it is.
Having fixed cats in the area prevents the birth of unwanted kittens and will stop other unfixed cats from entering the area.
The following resources are available to assist with TNR in our area:
Oops, she did it again! Did you know that cats can get pregnant as early as four months and can have up to three litters with four or more kittens…every year? And cats will not hesitate to mate with their littermates and offspring. Please get your kitty fixed!
If your cat had kittens, this is your responsibility. Please check with your vet about spay/neuter options or take advantage of the programs listed here. We are happy to provide guidance on finding them new homes. JHS has a partnership with rehome.adoptapet.com and you can list the kittens on our website for free to help them find new families.
The American Veterinary Medical Association advocates that all cats be spayed or neutered by no later than five months. The following organizations can provide free or low-cost spay/neuter for cats:
6817 Norwood Ave.
Jacksonville, FL 32208
(904) 425-0005
Free and low-cost spay/neuter
Appointments required for owned pets
Appointments not required for feral cats
2893 Edison Ave
Jacksonville, FL 32254
(904) 683-1098
www.seaglassspayneuter.com
Low-cost spay/neuter
Tuesday-Thursday 7:30am-4:30pm, Friday-Monday closed
2727 Atlantic Blvd.
Jacksonville, FL 32207
(904) 674-7223
Low-cost spay/neuter
Appointments required
2230 Filmore St.
Orange Park, FL 32065
(904) 276-7729
Free spay/neuter for cats
Appointments required
Feral cats are fixed on Wednesday, no appointment required
Serving Duval, St. Johns, and Putnam Counties
1967 Old Moultrie Rd.
St. Augustine, FL 32086
(904) 797-6039
Free spay/neuter certificates available
Low-cost spay/neuter available
Use this library of resources to help provide loving care for kittens in your home. Spay and neuter resources may be available (while supplies last) for kittens when they reach the 8-week mark for kittens kept out of shelters. Please contact us via email: [email protected].
Resources for At-Home Kitten Heroes:
Most kittens who arrive at the shelter are too small to stay more than a few hours. They must go to foster homes, where willing volunteers provide at-home TLC to help them grow big and strong. Once they are 2 lbs, they can come back to the shelter to find homes. Shelters provide medical care and foster parents are responsible for ensuring the safety and development of these little lives.
Volunteers play a crucial role in the shelter setting to provide care to kittens. This includes weighing, bathing and feeding kittens along with supporting staff by cleaning, doing laundry, answering phone calls and more.
Both the Jacksonville Humane Society and Animal Care and Protective Services need your help.
In 2023, JHS took in 3,561 kittens.
The average cost of care for each kitten is $150.
Are you willing to help with a gift?
Everyone can help by sharing the message of what to do when kittens are found. Here is a sample of messages you can post on social media:
When we find a litter of kittens, our good-hearted instincts tell us to rush to the aid of these fragile felines. Thankfully, human interventions are typically not required. The best thing you can do is leave them alone and wait for mom to return! If you have already moved them, please go look for mom. If she doesn’t return in 8 hours, here’s how you can help: jaxhumane.org/kittenhero
Share our flowchart:
You can also print our Don’t Kitnap Kittens flyer and post it in your favorite neighborhood hot spots.
You can also share our post on Facebook.
If your veterinary practice would like to help, please contact our team.
