Have you found a litter of kittens that need care? Do you have an interest in helping homeless cats and kittens in need? Just want some more information? You’ve come to the right place! Please note that cats are very self-sufficient and pose no danger to the community. Because of this, feral mama cats with babies should be left alone unless in need of help or care. If you find a stray baby kitten, wait out of sight for a few hours–usually the mama will come back to get it. If you feel as though a kitten is abandoned, injured, or in need of help, please call us so we can assist you. The breeding season in Valdosta is 10 months out of the year, and as much as we try to spay and neuter feral cats as quickly as possible, they are still breeding rapidly! Because of this, we get calls almost daily about litters of kittens that need help. Due to the large numbers of kittens and the fact that these fragile babies require special care, if they are taken to the shelter they may be euthanized unless they have a foster home to care for them. That’s where you come in! Please find some basic information about caring for kittens below.
Due to a lack of spay/neuter surgeries and more people staying home, more kittens are being found outside. It is important to leave any kittens found unless they are sick or injured. If you find a cat or kitten that is healthy and able to feed themselves, it is best to leave them outside. Before touching/moving or attempting to capture cats or kittens you find outside, please contact us with any questions, if possible. A kitten’s best chance of survival is to stay outside with mom.
Neonatal is essentially a baby kitten from birth to about 4 weeks old. If there is not a mama cat around, neonatal kittens require around the clock care, including bottle feeding (about every 3 hours). If you do find baby kittens that need help, first and for most they must be kept warm as they can not produce their own body heat. Please get them to a heating source like a snuggle safe or kitten safe heating pad as soon as you can so we have the best chance of making sure they survive.
Below are some of the supplies suggested for kitten care (particularly the bottle-feeding of neonatal care). If you choose to foster through the Humane Society, we will provide all materials needed!
*Please note: all products listed above are not endorsed by the HSVLC, just suggestions of products that work well*
Different aged kittens require different levels of care. If a kitten is an orphaned neonate (birth-4weeks), they require bottle feeding about every three hours, and monitoring to ensure that their body is working and growing properly. If kittens are eating on their own they require less of a time commitment, but need to be socialized. In either case, fostering kittens does not require much space. Sometimes a spare bedroom or even a bathroom will do the trick. It is also best to keep your pets away from baby kittens, but having your own pets should not keep you from helping more!
Check out the Instagram page of our foster volunteer and keep up with some of our baby kittens!
There are many ways to help us save the lives of these kittens. Our greatest need is for fosters who can care for them. We can only say yes to taking in so many kittens from the shelter when we have the space. If you are interested in fostering, please contact us! We will provide all the necessary materials and information for you to be a successful foster. It can be overwhelming and feel like a huge undertaking, but we are there for our volunteers every step of the way to make sure you feel confident in what you are doing. Can’t open your home but still want to help? We desperately need monetary donations and donations of supplies for these babies. Ideas can be found on our Amazon wish list! Still unsure, but just want to get your foot in the door? Come visit! There is never any pressure, and we always have lots of cats and kittens to love on. Who knows, maybe you’ll just find your passion and save lives at the same time! It is our mission to get Valdosta to no kill status and we can’t do it without you!
Contact Us:
1740 W Gordon St.
Valdosta, GA 31601
229-247-3266
info@humanesocietyofvaldosta.org
The Humane Society of Valdosta in Lowndes County serves as the parent organization for programs that advocate and take action to benefit those who cannot speak for themselves. Our ultimate goal is to merit a “No Kill” status for our community and stay the course in providing homes to homeless pets.