The Jacksonville Humane Society (JHS), along with the City of Jacksonville’s Animal Care & Protective Service (ACPS) and First Coast No More Homeless Pets (FCNMHP), are seeking the community’s support to help save lives by sharing information on “what to do” when you find a litter of kittens.
Kitten season is the time of year when unaltered cats procreate and give birth to kittens. In 2023, JHS and ACPS combined took in 5,203 kittens under the age of five months, and JHS served an additional 903 kittens via the Kitten Krusaders program. Kitten Krusaders encourages community members who find kittens to foster, rather than bringing them to the shelter, by connecting finders with no-cost veterinary care.
When community members find a litter of kittens outside, it is often instinctual to jump right in and “rescue” these tiny cats. This notion has been given the moniker “kitnapping,” and all three agencies ask the public to not act on that instinct.
Kitnapping is not the best option for kittens, mother cats, or shelters. Underage kittens are the most fragile population in shelters and require extra time, labor and resources that are not always available. When underage kittens arrive at the shelter, they most often need to go into a foster home the very same day, putting an extra strain on staff and volunteers. Also, when no one looks for the mother cat, she is left alone to continue reproducing in the community.
If kittens are experiencing a true medical emergency, such as struggling to breathe, open wounds, or visibly underweight, ACPS can be reached via 904-630-2489, myjax.custhelp.com or the MyJax app.
For more information, please visit jaxhumane.org/kittenhelp.