Kitten Season Information & Resources

kitten image

The time between late spring and early autumn is known in the animal shelter world as “kitten season”. During this time of year, feral and unaltered stray cats reproduce prolifically. It is not uncommon for as many as 50 or so cats to be brought into the shelter in a single day. This guide is intended to help you learn the best way to help kittens if you encounter a litter in need of rescue.

MCAS Kitten Policy (by Size):

  • 3 lbs and over:

    Kittens that are at least 3 pounds (approx. 12 weeks old), healthy and friendly will be placed in our cattery as adoptable or transferred to a placement partner, as long as space permits (however, we can not guarantee a space). Stray kittens are given priority over owned kittens.

  • 1.5 - 3 lbs:

    For kittens between 1.5- 3 pounds (approx. 7-12 weeks old) that are healthy and friendly, MCAS will make every attempt to find them foster homes till they are adoptable or transfer them to an outside agency. However, we can not guarantee a placement will be found.

  • Under 1.5 lbs w/ mom cat:

    If underweight kittens (less than 1.5 pounds) are brought in with their mom cat and all are healthy and social, MCAS will make every attempt to place them into a foster home or transfer them to a placement partner. Again, we can not guarantee placement.

  • Under 1.5 lbs w/out mom cat:

    MCAS can not adopt, foster or transfer kittens (without their mom cat) that are under 1.5 lbs, sick or unsocial. That means if they are impounded here, they will be humanely euthanized after the hold time. (Note: Cat Adoption Team will accept kittens that are under 1.5 pounds IF they are able to eat kibble. Oregon Cat may also accept underweight kittens.)

  • Daily Limits:

    MCAS policy states that county residents may only bring in one of the following per day:

    • one adult cat or
    • one mother cat with her litter of kittens or
    • one litter of kittens
  • About Euthanasia:

    Unfortunately, cat overpopulation is a significant problem in the Portland metro area and while we rescue as many cats and kittens as we possibly can, MCAS simply does not have the resources to solve this problem alone. When we are beyond capacity, placement partners are beyond capacity, and all of our foster homes are full, the sad fact is that sometimes cats and kittens must be humanely euthanized. However, MCAS does its best to avoid euthanizing healthy animals whenever possible and our statistics are significantly better than the national average.

Things to Consider if You Find Kittens:

  • A mother cat will periodically leave her nest to hunt for food. If you see young kittens without their mother, it is likely she will return. It is always better for young kittens to remain with their mother. Pre-weaned kittens (under 4 weeks) without a mother are very difficult to care for and have a high mortality rate. The mother should return to the nest within a few hours if you watch quietly from a distance.
  • A mother cat will also regularly move her nest of kittens instinctively. If you see a single young kitten, it is likely that it’s the first of the group moved to a new location or the last of the group in the old location.
  • Feral Cat Coalition of Oregon also has some information regarding stray and/or feral kittens.

If You Find Friendly Kittens:

  • Weigh them:

    Once they are of an age where they are able to start getting around on their own, try to determine their weight. If they are friendly you should be able to pick them up and handle them.

  • 3 lbs and over:

    If they meet the MCAS criteria of 3 pounds, MCAS will accept them and place them for adoption or transfer them to a placement partner, as long as space permits. You may also try placing them with one of the other Portland-area shelters (listed at the bottom of this page).

  • 1.5 - 3 lbs:

    If they are between 1.5 - 3 pounds, you may either bring them in and we will attempt to make arrangements for them until they’re adoptable OR you may care for them yourself until they reach 3 pounds. Keep in mind if you bring them to the shelter during kitten season, we can not guarantee foster or placement partners will be available.

  • Under 1.5 lbs w/ mom cat:

    If the kittens are under 1.5 pounds and with their mom and you absolutely must bring them in, MCAS will make every attempt to place them into foster or with an outside agency, but we can’t guarantee a placement will be located. If you can unofficially foster them in your home for a few weeks until they are older, you would play an important role in helping MCAS address a significant problem by assisting us in our rescue goals.

  • Under 1.5 lbs w/out mom cat:

    If the kittens are underweight (less than 1.5 lbs), un-weaned and without a mother cat, MCAS does not have the resources to care for, adopt, foster or transfer them. If they are brought to MCAS, they will be humanely euthanized. If you’ve found very young kittens and you’re absolutely certain the mother is not returning, and you’d like to attempt to raise them, please visit City of San Jose Animal Control’s "Is this an Orphan Kitten?" and “How to Care for an Orphaned Kitten” web pages. It is very difficult to care for un-weaned kittens, as they must be fed frequently and need to be stimulated in order to defecate. You may also contact CAT or Oregon Cat to seek assistance.

If You Find Feral Kittens:

  • Are they fearful?

    If the kittens are very skittish and are unwilling to interact with you or play with you, they are considered unsocial or feral.

  • If you bring them to the shelter:

    MCAS simply does not have the resources to socialize feral kittens. We do not foster, transfer or adopt out feral kittens. If you bring feral kittens to MCAS, they will be humanely euthanized.

  • The alternative:

    What is the alternative? We welcome the community’s help in addressing this situation. You can trap the kittens and socialize them in order to make them friendlier and adoptable. Keep in mind this process requires a significant commitment. You should also be aware that cat bites can be potentially life-threatening, so if you are bitten you should seek medical attention immediately.

  • What to do if you want to socialize feral kittens:
  1. The best time to catch feral kittens you intend to socialize is after they’ve been weaned at about 5-6 weeks of age and before 8 weeks of age. Alley Cat Allies has a reference page to help you determine age and some other helpful information about feral kittens. Urban Cat League has excellent guidelines for feral kitten socialization on their site.
  2. If the mother is social or semi-social, the best option is to take in the mother and the kittens until the kittens are old enough to be adopted out.
  3. A truly feral mother cat will not tolerate confinement and it is dangerous to attempt this. In this case, you will want to catch the kittens after they reach about 5-6 weeks of age and begin socializing them. You will also want to trap, spay and return (through Feral Cat Coalition) the mother cat to prevent future litters or if she’s brought to MCAS, she will be humanely euthanized.
  4. If you find very young, unweaned feral kittens and you’re absolutely certain the mother is not returning and you’d like to attempt to raise them, please visit the following web pages for care instructions:

    City of San Jose Animal Control: Orphan Kitten Info

    City of San Jose Animal Control: Caring for Orphan Kittens

    The ASPCA site also has some stray kitten care information.

    2nd Chance: Bottle Feeding Orphaned Kittens

  5. Once the kittens are at a healthy weight, friendly and socialized, you may be able to place them for adoption through a local shelter.

Where to Bring Kittens:

General Kitten Care Information

  • PAW has some basic kitten care information available on their web site. For information about how to socialize feral kittens or how to bottle-feed very young, motherless kittens, please see the links provided in the "If You Find Feral Kittens" section above.