Every year, animal shelters across the United States brace themselves for kitten season — a deceptively cute term that masks the strain it puts on already overburdened facilities.

From early spring to late fall, thousands of pregnant cats and newborn kittens flood shelters, stretching resources thin and leaving rescue workers scrambling to provide the necessary care.

Experts say it’s not just a seasonal surge; rising temperatures and milder winters may be extending the season, compounding the problem.

Understanding Kitten Season

Kitten season typically spans the warm months between April and October, when cats are more likely to mate and give birth. Stephanie Filer, executive director of Shelter Animals Count, likens it to the start of spring in the movie *Bambi*, with cats everywhere coupling up and filling shelters with newborns. During this time, shelters often see an increase in kitten intakes, sometimes by as much as 50% or more, reports USA Today.

It’s a cycle that repeats every year, straining resources and challenging volunteers and staff alike.

The influx often includes very young kittens, some only a few days old, requiring round-the-clock care. These kittens, or “neonates,” need incubators, formula, and constant attention, making it difficult for underfunded shelters to provide adequate care. Unfortunately, the consequences are often grim: an estimated 13% of kittens entering shelters die due to inadequate resources, according to data shared by Shelter Animals Count.

Rising Temperatures Extend Kitten Season

While kitten season has traditionally aligned with warmer months, some experts are concerned that climate change is affecting this already taxing time.

As ecologist Christopher Lepczyk told Grist, milder winters and an early onset of spring may be encouraging cats to mate sooner and more frequently, as cats rely on longer daylight hours to trigger their reproductive cycles. Lepczyk noted that animals breed based on available resources and favorable conditions, which may now extend earlier into the year reports.

In Northern California, Ann Dunn, director of Oakland Animal Services, observed that their spay/neuter clinic in February revealed more than half of the female cats were already pregnant — a worrying sign that the season is not only starting earlier but lasting longer.

Trap-Neuter-Return: A Solution with Limits

Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) has become a popular solution among animal welfare organizations looking to control stray and feral cat populations. Through TNR, cats are captured, sterilized, and returned to their original locations, reducing the number of cats in the community over time. By marking the cats with an “ear-tip,” shelters can easily identify which cats have been sterilized, Dr. Kate Hurley, director of the Koret Shelter Medicine Program at UC Davis, told LAist.

While effective in reducing litters, TNR is not without its challenges. The sheer volume of cats makes it difficult to manage with available resources, particularly when local shelters face vet shortages.

Meredith Kirby of OC Community Cats told LAist that since the county shelter discontinued TNR support in 2020, her organization has struggled to keep up with the demand for sterilizations and has had to travel outside Orange County to find affordable services.

TNR can also be controversial. Some conservationists argue that TNR does not go far enough in protecting local wildlife, as stray cats continue to hunt and affect local bird populations, particularly in sensitive areas like Hawaii, known as the bird extinction capital of the world. Proposals for culling or more aggressive methods of population control remain divisive, and TNR advocates like Peter J. Wolf of Best Friends Animal Society insist that sterilization programs offer a humane alternative, Grist reports.

Fostering and Volunteering: Community Solutions

Amid the challenges, shelters encourage community involvement as one of the most effective ways to manage kitten season. Even a small space in a home can provide a haven for kittens in need. Chris Ramon, from the Community Cats Program at Pasadena Humane, emphasizes that a bathroom or closet can serve as a “penthouse” compared to a shelter cage. Ramon told Portage Park that people sometimes overestimate what fostering requires, though it’s an essential lifeline for kittens not old enough for adoption.

Beyond fostering, shelters are in constant need of volunteers and donations. Monetary donations help cover veterinary bills, while items like bedding, kitten food, and litter are always appreciated. Filer of Shelter Animals Count also urges people to spay and neuter their pets and support local low-cost spay/neuter programs, as proactive measures against kitten season's population surges.

For those interested in helping stray and feral cats directly, joining a TNR program offers a more hands-on approach. Volunteers trap cats, bring them to spay/neuter clinics, and return them to their colonies, helping to stabilize populations. It’s an ongoing effort, requiring dedication and time, but it has a direct impact on reducing the shelter population in the long term.

Facing Kitten Season, One Year at a Time

With kitten season extending and shelter resources spread thin, animal welfare organizations continue to adapt to meet the growing need. By raising awareness, supporting spay/neuter initiatives, and involving the community, advocates hope to reduce the seasonal surge of homeless cats.

“Be somebody who does something,” Kirby told the LAist, calling on the community to step up in whatever ways they can. Each action, whether adopting a shelter cat or donating supplies, contributes to the fight against kitten overpopulation — one life at a time.

Click below to take action and help shelters provide care where its needed most this kitten season!