Safely Helping the Most Fragile Little Lives

Written by: Dr. Jacklyn Ellis, MRes PhD CAAB CSB-C

If you find tiny kittens without a home, it can be very tempting to bring them in and find a home for them. But this is not always in the best interest of the kittens. There are several factors you should consider before taking any action. Do they appear healthy? Is their mother still caring for them? Are they eating solid food? Do they enjoy petting or seem curious about people?

If the kittens do not look healthy – for example, they look dirty, appear to be injured or have a runny nose and eyes – do not delay getting them help. You can contact Toronto Humane Society, or your local veterinarian, for support on how to care for them or on how to admit them to an animal welfare organization.

If they seem relatively healthy but are alone when you find them, wait a few hours to see if their mother returns. If you can’t wait for her to come back, try sprinkling some flour on the ground nearby and look for her paw prints later.

If the mother returns, and the kittens appear healthy, leaving them with her until they are weaned and eating solid food is the best thing you can do for them. Though they can be bottle-fed by us, a mother’s milk contains antibodies that newborn kittens desperately need to fight disease. Formula can also cause diarrhea or constipation in many kittens.

In addition to promoting physical health, staying with their mother and siblings can greatly contribute to the behavioral wellbeing of the kittens. The best company for un-weaned kittens is their mother and siblings. They learn normal behaviours from their family. Kittens that are removed from their mother at a very young age often have abnormal behaviours that can develop into permanent challenges for the kittens and their adopters.

If the mother does not return in a reasonable amount of time, and they are not yet old enough to eat solid food, these kittens will need help immediately. They’ll need someone to take their mother’s place, which means giving them formula, stimulating their bodies, and making sure they’re clean and healthy. If you’re ever in this situation and would like to care for the kittens until they’re old enough to be on their own, Toronto Humane Society has resources and information available to support you and their well-being. You can reach out to us about becoming their Foster Parent or surrendering them to our care.

If the kittens are eating solid food, regardless of their mom being around, rehoming might be the best choice! However, think about their age and response to human interaction. The older a kitten is, the more difficult it is for them to socialize with people. For kittens that enjoy petting or show genuine curiosity about people, adoption is likely to result in a very happy ending. However, older kittens who have had very limited exposure to people and only show signs of terror towards them may not be appropriate for life in a traditional home environment. For these cats, adoption may seem like a prison sentence, and they may be happier living life as a community cat – safely, after receiving their spay or neuter surgery, of course!

We can all play a part in safely caring for the fragile little lives of kittens by first taking a moment to assess the situation. Your first instinct may be to remove the kittens from where you found them and bring them to an animal welfare organization right away, but if the kittens are very young, appear healthy, and are still cared for by their mother, it is best to leave them where they are until they’re older – otherwise, although with good intentions, you may be kitnapping kittens.

Chimken was found alone in a new development construction site in Toronto. She was fearful at first, but after a few treats, Chimken began to trust her finder.

The finder waited a few days to see if Chimken was alone. During that time, Chimken’s playful, curious, and sweet personality started to shine through, so her finder decided that it was time to bring her to Toronto Humane Society to help her find a home.

She received her medical exam and spay surgery and after 5 days Chimken was adopted!

Now she enjoys endless play time, all the treats she could ask for, and endless cuddles on her new favourite couch in her forever home.

Jacklyn Ellis is board certified by the Animal Behavior Society as a Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist, is Certified in Shelter Behavior – Cat by the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants and is the Director of Behaviour at Toronto Humane Society.

She earned her PhD in Animal Welfare at the Atlantic Veterinary College, University of Prince Edward Island, where she conducted research on methods for reducing stress in shelter cats.

Her work has been published widely in peer reviewed journals and she has presented at many national and international conferences, particularly on feline stress and elimination behaviour. She has recently completed two chapters for a new edition of the leading textbook on the behaviour and welfare of shelter animals.