Found Kittens? Best Friends Can Help

Being at home more, over the spring, has meant that more Southern Californians are out and about on their streets, exploring their immediate surroundings in a fresh and in-depth way.

And these explorations have led some people to follow a gentle "mewing" sound, the kind of sound that says there are newborn kittens nearby.

Of course, we don't need to keep closer to home to come across a surprise litter of kittens in our yard or in some corner of our neighborhood; it is a discovery that animal lovers have frequently made in the past.

Best Friends Animal Society has created an information-packed page that can help we humans when we make such a discovery, and support us in determining what steps to take.

"With COVID-19 restricting shelters to limited intake, helping kittens stay with mom or taking the initiative to rescue them privately becomes even more important," said Jennifer Pimentel, executive director of Best Friends Animal Society in Los Angeles. 

"A home environment is also healthier for orphaned kittens, so anyone who can care for them can make a tremendous difference in their well-being."

An instructional video, as well as several helpful links covering everything from bottle-feeding kittens to spay and neuter resources, can be found here.

Start with "What to Do If You Find Kittens," and keep this resource-rich page handy in case you ever do come across some wee cats in your yard or neighborhood.

“We hope these tools empower the community to not only help kittens, but also to help alleviate the pressure on shelters and rescue groups that are dealing with very difficult circumstances at the moment,” Pimentel said. 

“Rescuing kittens doesn’t have to be an overwhelming or daunting task. We want to be a resource for pet lovers in our community who have the ability to be a part of the solution. Together, neighborhood by neighborhood, we can save more lives.”