Kitten season

Although cats can breed at any time of the year, "kitten season" is when most kittens are born. From spring to autumn, rescues see a huge increase in the number of pregnant cats and kittens needing to come into their care, but with long waiting list and limited capacity, there are only so many that can be helped.

Our centre has 3 dedicated maternity pods for pregnant and nursing mums, but to enable us to help more mums and litters, we have a team of fantastic fosterers who care for pregnant and nursing mums and orphaned kittens round the clock in their own homes. Despite all of this, it still isn't enough for all the unwanted or unplanned kittens that need us.

Female cats can get pregnant as young as 4 months old, so it is really important to keep them indoors until they are old enough to be neutered - usually at around 4-6 months of age. If you have unneutered male or female cats, we urge you to contact your vet as soon as possible to book them in for neutering and help us break the cycle of kittens having kittens.

Amber's story

Amber was just 5 months old when she came into our care. She was born with a neurological condition called Cerebellar Hypoplasia which causes issues with coordination and balance, and she also had an old injury to her eye. She was unneutered and had been living with unneutered males, so there was a chance she could be pregnant. Shortly after coming into our care, a vet confirmed that she was pregnant, but unfortunately, a few weeks later she lost the kittens. Amber was only a kitten herself, but had already been through so much in her short life. She was neutered and spent a few weeks with one of our amazing fosterers getting a little extra TLC before starting her new life in her forever home.

Cello's orchestra of kittens

Cello was brought to us after being found living on the streets with a litter of 9 one-week-old kittens. Mum and babies seemed ok, but Cello was very thin - feeding nine kittens while fending for herself had clearly taken its toll on her petite body. The family of 10 went to stay with one of our fosterers who provided Cello with lots of extra meals, but it still wasn't enough and her kittens weren't growing as quickly as they should. To ensure the kittens were getting the calories they needed, the fosterer supplement-fed them with formula from a bottle. It wasn't an easy few weeks: bottle-feeding nine kittens is a big task, with multiple feeds needing to be given throughout the day and night.

Despite the sleepless nights, Cello and her amazing fosterer managed to feed all 9 kittens enough that they started gaining weight and growing! It was soon time to wean the kittens onto solids, and they quickly learned to gather at the side of their play-pen when the tin was opened. After 9 long weeks, Cello's orchestra of kittens - Harmonica, Harp, Tuba, Clarinet, Viola, Ukulele, Flute, Banjo, and Violin - were ready to go to their forever homes and Cello and her fosterer could have a well-deserved break! Cello was adopted a short while later and settled into her new, kitten-free life fantastically.