'tis the time of year when a young cat's thoughts turn to...well, you know...
If you suspect that one of the cats in your neighborhood is pregnant and/or just gave birth, you have several options.
Most importantly, kits should not be taken away from their mother until 5 weeks of age at the very least - otherwise they stand very little chance of survival. Of equal importance is that there is no such thing as a shelter that will pick up kittens...that has little to do with them being overwhelmed, it is unfortunately just reality - the only "shelter" on SI is Animal Care and Control, and they are a city-contracted KILL shelter, so that's not a good option for them anyway - not to mention that if the mother is feral, she would be euthanized at the shelter as un-adoptable. Visit our Kitten Info page for helpful guides to everything from newborns, to development, to socialization, and our TNR/Rescue Resources page for a link to a pretty extensive list of NYC Rescues that might or might not be able to take the kits once they've been weaned.
