EDITOR: I am a volunteer foster mom for Friends of San Martin
Animal Shelter, a non-profit rescue organization. Every spring and
fall, I hand-raise orphaned kittens. Unfortunately, many of these
kittens are not actual orphans, but have been brought to us by
well-meaning people who don
’t realize this. A kitten has a far better chance for survival
when raised by its mother.
EDITOR:
I am a volunteer foster mom for Friends of San Martin Animal Shelter, a non-profit rescue organization. Every spring and fall, I hand-raise orphaned kittens. Unfortunately, many of these kittens are not actual orphans, but have been brought to us by well-meaning people who don’t realize this. A kitten has a far better chance for survival when raised by its mother.
Mother cats do not abandon their young. It is natural for a mother cat to leave her kittens for periods of time while she hunts for food. She will also move the litter to protect them, this means that you may see one kitten because it is either the first or last to be moved. The mother will return to her kittens unless some misfortune prevents her from doing so.
Often, someone spots the kittens without their mother nearby and mistakenly thinks that she has abandoned them. Unless they are in imminent danger, kittens that appear to be motherless should be observed to see if mommy returns before you intervene.
Please call FOSMAS for more information on orphaned kittens (408) 683-4186.
Susan Woolaghan, San Martin
