By TerrieLynn Bach and Launa Johnson
If you’ve found kittens, first, assess their condition and safety; then try to locate their mother if possible. Do not immediately assume they are abandoned. If the kittens appear healthy and the mother is nearby, leave them alone. If they are orphaned or in danger, contact a local animal shelter or rescue organization for help.
Mom might be out hunting, and she will be back. Observe them and notice if mom seems to be taking care of them. If they are clean and appear to be plump, they are ok. If they are dirty, showing distress, or obviously sick, it may be time to intervene.
If they are looking safe, watch for signs of mom returning. Set out water and cat food about 10 feet away for mom. Too close to the kittens will only draw predators. You can also create a large ring of flour around the area and watch for paw prints through the dusting of flour.
If, after 24 hours, you’ve seen no sign of mom or the kittens are now dirty and distressed, something may have happened to mom. Just know that if you do, be prepared to have kitten formula, kitten bottles, and a warming pad for them on hand. Nursing kittens cannot regulate their own body temperature, and they must have a source of warmth at all times. Do not attempt to feed a kitten that is not warm. Alley Cat Allies has a good resource page to look at.
Contact the shelter by phone (Bastrop County Animal Service 512-549-5160) and get an appointment for in-take for them. Expect to care for them until a foster can be found. The best is for you to be that foster as the shelter is often in need of fosters for kittens. There just aren’t enough.
Contact Bastrop C.A.T.S. at kittens@bastropcats.org and let us know what is going on. We can probably help with kitten formula and supplies, as well as how-to information. And when the kittens are weaned at eight weeks, they can then be brought, by appointment, to the shelter for in-take and future adoption. Please make the appointment as soon as you find the kittens though, as, during kitten season, appointments can be weeks out.
Bastrop C.A.T.S. can help you get the mom spayed, vaccinated, and returned, too. Contact Bastrop C.A.T.S. via email at info@bastropcats.org to schedule TNR appointments.