What To Do If You Find Kittens

Do not Kit-Nap Kittens! It’s a natural response to see a kitten all on its own and want to pick it up or immediately deliver it to the nearest animal shelter. But without their mother, these tiny lives need a specialized formula every two hours, along with around the clock care to make sure they remain healthy. Young kittens cannot defecate on their own, and need assistance going to the bathroom for their first critical weeks. In a shelter overflowing with an influx of felines, a lack of fosters and resources can prove fatal.

So what should you do if you find a kitten?

• Are they visibly injured or sick? There’s a chance that it may need your help! Contact your nearest animal welfare organization or shelter and explain the situation. If that isn’t possible, you can take the kitten to your nearest veterinarian.
• Are they in danger? If mom has chosen a dangerous location for her babies, move them to the nearest safe spot. Keep them as close to their original location as possible, so mom can find them.
• Do they seem content? Leave them alone! Mother cats will often leave their babies for a few hours to find food. Observe from a distance every couple of hours for the next 24 hours. Mom will not return for her babies if she feels threatened by humans, so staying as far away as possible is key. So long as the kittens aren’t fussing, extremely dirty or seem dehydrated, it’s highly likely that their mother is caring for them.

If mom hasn’t returned to take care of her kittens within 24 hours, it’s safe to assume that they’ve been abandoned. Reach out to your local animal welfare organization or shelter to assess the situation and see if intervention is needed!

Become A HERO For Kittens

There are numerous ways to help your local animal shelters during kitten season! From becoming a life-saving foster, to spreading the word about TNR (Trap, Neuter, Return), you can make a massive impact in your community.

• Become a Foster. Getting kittens out of the shelter and into a foster home as quickly as possible is essential for saving their lives. CLICK HERE to learn about fostering at Great Plains SPCA.
• Donate Supplies. As the number of kittens climbs, shelters are quickly depleted of necessary kitten-rearing supplies such as formula, bottles, and heat packs. CLICK HERE to view our Amazon Wish List.
• Support Monetarily. With monetary donations, shelters are able to cover the cost of care for their pets and purchase supplies. CLICK HERE to support our shelter pets.

Kitten season may seem like a mind-boggling challenging to take on. But thanks to supporters like YOU, Great Plains SPCA is able to continue our mission of saving lives.

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The Pros of Altering Your Pet

• No heat cycles. Female cats may yowl or pee in your house in order to attract mates while in heat. Stray dogs will be attracted to your home by the smell of an unaltered female dog.
• Longer, healthier lives. Unaltered pets are more prone to a variety of cancers, including ovarian, mammary, uterine and testicular cancer. Studies have shown that spayed/neutered dogs live 1-3 years longer, while cats live 3-5 years longer.
• Less desire to roam. When in heat, pets may wish to escape in order to find a mate. This can lead to injury due to vehicles, or fights with other animals.
• Reduce unwanted behaviors. Spraying, marking, and aggressive behaviors are more common in unaltered pets. Early alter will prevent these behaviors from occurring.
• No unwanted litters! There are already too many animals compared to the number of homes. Spaying your pet will prevent the expenses, time, and stress involved with an unplanned litter.

What Are My Options For Spay/Neuter?

You’re ready to make the decision to have your pet altered. But where do you start?

• Private Veterinary Clinic. Your primary veterinarian can likely provide your spay/neuter service, but feel free to call around! Many offices will have different rates if affordability is a concern.
• Pet Resource Center of KC. A nonprofit clinic that strives to provide affordable medical care to all pets. If finances are a concern, this is a good option to consider.
• Spay/Neuter Collaborative. Every few months, local shelters and nonprofits come together to provide free spay/neuter services to our community. Keep an eye on your social media to see when our next clinic will be hosted!

Spay/Neuter can make a massive difference not only for your personal pet, but for the entire Kansas City community. We are always here to answer any questions you may have, and you can contact info@greatplainsspca.org for more information or assistance.

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Community Cat Care

If you come across a community cat that seems unsocialized, but you would still like to help, there are plenty of options! The main things that you can provide a feral cat in need are food and shelter. Many outdoor felines are skilled in scavenging or hunting for food, but will greatly appreciate an easy meal. Cost-effective and efficient housing can also be constructed from Styrofoam coolers stuffed with straw. These are especially handy in the winter when warm shelter isn’t readily available.

So you have the basics! Feral cats are low maintenance, and don’t require much else unless they become injured or ill. But we know from owning our own kitty companions that life in the outdoors is not ideal. So how do we break the cycle?

TNR (Trap, Neuter, Return)

TNR is a humane, effective way to control feral cat populations and break the cycle of outdoor cats. Community cats are trapped, brought to a veterinary clinic to be spayed or neutered, and returned to their original location. This allows them to live out their lives, while preventing further litters being born.

When trapping a community or feral cat, it’s essential to follow best practices to ensure both the safety of the cat and yourself. First, make sure you have the proper equipment, such as a humane live trap, which can be purchased or borrowed from local shelters or animal rescue groups. Set the trap in a quiet, secluded area where the cat is known to frequent, preferably near food and shelter sources. Always use tempting bait like tuna, sardines, or wet cat food, but avoid handling the trap with your bare hands afterward to reduce the chance of transferring human scent. Check the trap frequently to prevent the cat from being trapped for too long, and place a cloth or towel over the trap to help calm the cat. Once trapped, transport the cat to a veterinarian or local animal shelter for spaying/neutering, vaccinations, or rehoming.

Great Plains SPCA offers regular Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) clinics to help community cats receive essential care while preventing overpopulation. These clinics provide a humane and effective solution to managing feral cat populations, ensuring they live healthier lives while reducing the number of homeless kittens.

If you have a feral cat or colony in your neighborhood and have additional questions or concerns, email hero@greatplainsspca.org! We are more than happy to lend a hand, and continue caring for ALL animals that need our help.

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Sable is a chocolate lab who is almost 13 years old. Her fur is currently very dry which is not normal for her.  She takes Omega-3 and fish oil supplements and has for years. Is this because of the time of year after shedding and before getting her winter coat?  Is it age related?  – Kathy Stull

Older dogs experience different types of skin changes as they get older so this could be related to age or weather. It sounds like you are giving Sable some excellent vitamins to help keep her coat shiny and healthy. Food can also play a part in dry and coarse hair, but if this is not normal for her, then keep an eye on it for the next six months and see what her hair does. Oatmeal baths, coconut oil, and herbal supplements can also help with dry and course fur. – Ashley Flores, CPDT-KA

I have a seven-year-old male tabby who has always eaten from a bowl with no problem. Recently he won’t eat out of a bowl. He will only eat off the bare floor or carpet. He has been to the veterinarian recently and I was told cats will do what they want! (I AGREE 100%) I just thought it was weird. – Tammy

It is a little strange to us, but I wouldn’t assume there is anything medically or behaviorally off with this new eating habit. A lot of cats prefer to eat off the floor and many cats will take food out of their bowl and place it on the floor before consuming it. The ancestors of our domestic kitties used their paws to hold down prey, so your tabby may be following an evolutionary instinct. – Ashley Flores, CPDT-KA

I have had my dog for seven years and every night he has slept in his bed which is in a wire crate with the door open. About a month ago, my husband got COVID, and I slept in the guest room. My dog slept with my husband in our room, but he stopped sleeping in his crate. He slept on the floor at the foot of the bed instead. Since then, he hasn’t gone back to his crate, even since I came back to our bedroom. Any thoughts on why he would make such a big change suddenly? – Tracy Lewandowski

Dogs are associative learners, which means they learn in patterns. Sounds like your pup developed a new pattern and is repeating that pattern. You can train him to sleep back in the crate if you wish, but I wouldn’t worry about it he seems content where he is. If you have issues getting him back in the crate, I recommend going back to the basics of crate training. –Ashley Flores, CPDT-KA

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My dog is absolutely terrified during Halloween night when the children come over to trick or treat and he will not let anyone pet him. He is usually very friendly to unfamiliar people. I think he might just be afraid of the costumes. Any tips on how to help him before Halloween? – Charlene Darlington

Many animals fear trick or treaters and children dressed in costumes. Normally, I talk about desensitization and socialization when animals are afraid of strangers, but if your dog is only afraid of people at Halloween, then I recommend putting him in another room for the couple of hours during the trick or treating since it’s only once a year. I personally put my dogs in my bedroom, use a white noisemaker, put on a TV show in the bedroom, and give them some peanut butter filled Kongs during that time. Hope you have a good and safe Halloween! – Ashley Flores, CPDT-KA

I have a dog that was found stray three years ago and she doesn’t really like people. She is due for her rabies vaccination and needs some other boosters, but I am nervous to take her to the vet. I fear that she might bite the vet. What can I do to get her vaccinated and keep everyone safe? – Summer Jones

I highly recommend you muzzle train your dog. I am a big advocate for using more muzzles to keep people and pets safe. Check out the Muzzle Up Project online. They have muzzle games you can play to train her in a fun way and get her to not mind being muzzled. Vets love when people have their pets muzzled because that keeps them safe, too. Check out the website to learn more! – Ashley Flores, CPDT-KA

How long do cats live? – Makala (Age 6)

The average lifespan for an indoor cat is 12 – 18 years. If you keep them healthy by visiting a vet annually and updated on their vaccinations, then they can live much longer. Cats that live strictly outdoors have a shorter lifespan due to dangers they may face like illnesses, predators, and vehicles. Fun Fact: The Guinness Book of World Records reports a cat named Crème Puff who lived in Texas and ultimately died in 2005 at the age of 38 years and three days. – Ashley Flores, CPDT-KA

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1. Foster homes help shelter pets shine.
Shelter life can be a scary place for some animals. Great Plains SPCA is a world-class shelter and we do our best to make sure the animals are comfortable, have plenty of toys, treats and enrichment time, however, even the best shelter can stress an animal and cause them to display undesirable behaviors. Once out of the shelter environment, many animals relax, and those behaviors diminish or disappear altogether. We learn their true personalities and they become more adoptable.

2. Teach your foster pet new skills in your home.

If you’ve got the time, they’ve got the energy! Shelter pets are eager to please and love to learn new tricks. Some shelter dogs come from working breeds and need the extra stimulation of learning a new job to help curb less desirable behavior. Plus, the more tricks the animal can learn, the more attractive the animal looks to potential adopters!

3. You could be matchmaker for your foster pet.

Every walk through a neighborhood, every stop for a pup cup at the local coffee shop, everywhere you go with your foster pet is an opportunity to play match maker for your furry friend. Fostering a pet that can’t travel? Social media is the purrrfect way to capture those special moments only a Foster family has access to. So spread the word and your foster pet could be the next big thing!

4. You’ll be saving more than one life by fostering.

When you foster a pet, you help save more than one animal! Each foster pet placed in a Foster home opens space at the shelter to another pet who deserves a chance at happiness. In some cases, such as fostering a litter of puppies or kittens, you can help save several lives.

5. Fostering is a temporary commitment with a lifetime of rewards. 

Having a pet is a rewarding experience but it is also a commitment of time. We understand pet ownership may not be the best for those with a busy schedule. Fostering is a great option for those on the move who want to make a lasting impact on an animal and the community that cares for them. We offer foster opportunities that fit your lifestyle and that best benefits the animal’s needs. Whether it’s a few weeks, a weekend stay or an afternoon at the park, fostering a shelter pet is a rewarding experience for you and the animal.

Each animal deserves a chance at happiness and the opportunities to be seen at their best. Great Plains SPCA provides all medical care, food, toys, and other supplies as needed. All a Foster family is required to provide is their home and their love! If you would like to foster a shelter pet or are interested in foster-to-adopt opportunities, please visit our Foster page to get started!

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This past week, a good Samaritan found Rye, a six-week-old kitten, outside on his own and brought him to Great Plains SPCA. Little Rye needed immediate medical attention. His tail had been “degloved.” This is when an extensive amount of skin is torn away from the underlying tissue. Poor Rye was in an incredible amount of pain. Our Shelter Medicine team made the difficult decision to almost completely amputate his tail.

The surgery went perfectly, thanks to our team of skilled veterinarians. We knew his recovery wouldn’t be easy and wanted to give him a safe space to heal. That’s when one of our staff members stepped up and offered to take him home and foster him during his recovery. 

Emergency surgeries like this not only affect us emotionally, they can be quite costly, but if it ends an animal’s suffering, it is worth it. If you would like to help us on our mission to continue to help innocent animals like Rye, please consider making a donation where your impact will be MATCHED up to $150,000 during our Lend A Paw Match Campaign.

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“True” lily species, meaning lilies from the Lilium or Hemerocallis family, are extremely toxic to cats. The entire plant is toxic: the stem, leaves, flowers, pollen and even the water in a vase. Eating just a small amount, grooming pollen off fur, or drinking the water from the vase can lead to serious consequences. This is a cat-specific toxin and does not affect dogs.

Lily intoxication in cats can cause fatal kidney damage. Signs can begin within 12 hours and start with nausea, vomiting and lethargy. These will rapidly progress if left untreated and can result in death within 72 hours after the initial ingestion. Early treatment by a veterinarian increases the chances of a positive outcome, so seek care as soon as possible if you suspect your cat ingested any part of a lily. If left untreated even for a day, there is a high likelihood that the kidney failure will be irreversible.

So, what lilies should you be looking out for? Some plants are called “lilies” but are not actually part of the toxic group. The common toxic lilies to watch out for are Easter Lilies, Japanese Lilies, Oriental Lily Hybrids, Stargazer Lilies, Casa Blanca Lilies, Tiger Lilies and Daylilies.

Flowers that are called lilies but are actually non-toxic include the Peruvian Lily, Lily of the Valley, Calla Lilly or Trumpet Lily, Peace Lily and Flame Lily. These are lovely alternatives to brighten up your home and ensure your cats stay safe!

Lilies are incredibly dangerous to cats – there’s no way around it. All cat owners should inspect any plants or flower arrangements for these “true” lily species before bringing them into the home. These flowers have no place in a cat owner’s home, and even having these flowers in an “off-limits” area is a risk to your cat’s safety. If you do have these plants in your home and suspect intoxication, seek care with a veterinarian as soon as possible.

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Ferdinand was brought to the shelter in June when his owner sadly passed away. From living in a home his entire 10-year-old life to living in the shelter, Ferdinand had a hard time adjusting. He seemed unhappy, grumpy and sometimes lashed out despite our team’s best efforts to care for him well. He entered a Foster home a few months after being in a shelter but was unsuccessful there too. We were finally able to determine that Ferdinand becomes stressed when around other cats and with large amounts of time alone. Since returning to the shelter, Ferdinand is living in a staff member’s office and is thriving! He is playful, soliciting attention, enjoying petting and friendly with all people. Now all that’s missing is his forever home!

Ferdinand will thrive in a home without other cats and will do best with children eight and up. Please help us share Ferdinand’s story! He deserves his home for the holidays. 

Our average cost of care for pet is $751, but for long-term pets like Ferdinand, the cost to care for them is much higher. Donate today during our Home for the Holidays match campaign.

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