Kitten season will be upon us soon. In South Georgia, the season seems to last forever, as we only have a short respite between October and February.

The truth of the matter is that the worst possible place for puppies and kittens is in an animal shelter. Therefore, we need to think of new and different strategies for saving animal lives.

We need to practice a whole new set of strategies by doing what seems to be directly opposite to what has been practiced in past years in animal welfare.

Most cats encountered living in colonies or on the streets are not lost. Their rescue by good Samaritans might threaten their lives. The best practice is to trap, neuter, vaccinate and release.

Kittens who appear to be abandoned by their mothers should not be handled by rescuers until it is a certainty Mom is not coming back. In many cases, Mom is out hunting or just taking a break.

Queens nursing kittens and kittens who have been abandoned will have a fighting chance if safe spaces, outside of shelters, can be provided while the kittens are nurtured to the point of independence. This spotlights the need for temporary foster homes.

Here is what Dr. Ruth MacPete, DVM, has to say about fostering:

“Not everyone may want to or be able to adopt a cat. Adopting an animal is a big responsibility. Maybe you’ve never had a pet of your own, and you’re not sure if you’re ready for that level of commitment. Maybe you already have six cats, and you don’t want to go overboard. Whatever the reason, fostering a kitten might be the perfect compromise and really helps shelters. Animal shelters often rely on foster parents to take care of young kittens until they are old enough to be adopted. Fosters also care for animals who need more time and attention than the shelter can provide during the peak of kitten season, such as cats with treatable medical problems. Besides helping kittens, fostering can also help you determine if you are prepared to make the commitment to be a pet parent. And finally, you might just find the perfect cat for your household. Two of my current three cats started off as fosters.”

If you want to help kittens and their moms in Thomasville and Thomas County, please contact us to receive more information about fostering in our community. Call (229) 224-7687 or (229) 403-1775 or message Miss Kitty Feline Sanctuary on Facebook.

Thomasville ThomCats is a group of concerned citizens who work to humanely neutralize and manage cat colonies in Thomas County.