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Please do not remove kittens from their mom until they are at least 8 weeks old! If you are willing/able to bring mom inside until she weans the kittens, that’s great! Even if you can’t bring them inside, the kittens have a far greater chance of surviving outside with their mom than if you were to separate them.
Provide mom and kittens with nutritious kitten wet food and kitten dry food. There should be little you need to do unless the momma cat has died or disappeared for more than 3 days. |
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I have kittens under 8 weeks and mom cat disappeared for more than 3 days
If the kitten(s) are less than 8 weeks old, the best shot for their survival is to keep them with their mom…. even if she is living outdoors and is feral. However, if mom has disappeared for more than three days, you may have to step in. Learn more here: “I Found a Baby Kitten, Now What? Step by Step Guide”.
Finding Placement for Kittens
Kittens under 4 months can often be adopted out, especially if you have been working to socialize them. Lifeline of Galveston County does NOT currently have a foster program to accommodate kittens, however, there are things you can do to try to get them adopted or into a rescue group.
Placing with a Rescue Group.
We define “rescue groups” as 501c3 non-profit organizations that are “no-kill,” meaning they do everything in their power to get an animal adopted.
Many rescue groups are “limited intake,” meaning they can only take in animals they have the resources to care for. A lot of the rescue groups in this area are foster-based, meaning they need a foster family to care for the animal in order to take the animal into the program.
If you are able to foster the kittens until they are adopted, you will have a much greater chance of getting the kittens into a rescue group. If you are willing to foster, be sure to mention it when you reach out to rescue groups.
When reaching out to a rescue group, be sure to include clear pictures of the kittens with personality descriptions and basic information like sex, weight, etc. If you have provided any medical care (like spay/neuter or vaccinations) or are willing to provide medical care, be sure to mention that when you reach out to a group.
Here are some helpful links to check out:
Here are just a few local rescue groups we recommend. Please check out their website to see if they have certain intake procedures:
Placing with a Rescue Group.
We define “rescue groups” as 501c3 non-profit organizations that are “no-kill,” meaning they do everything in their power to get an animal adopted.
Many rescue groups are “limited intake,” meaning they can only take in animals they have the resources to care for. A lot of the rescue groups in this area are foster-based, meaning they need a foster family to care for the animal in order to take the animal into the program.
If you are able to foster the kittens until they are adopted, you will have a much greater chance of getting the kittens into a rescue group. If you are willing to foster, be sure to mention it when you reach out to rescue groups.
When reaching out to a rescue group, be sure to include clear pictures of the kittens with personality descriptions and basic information like sex, weight, etc. If you have provided any medical care (like spay/neuter or vaccinations) or are willing to provide medical care, be sure to mention that when you reach out to a group.
Here are some helpful links to check out:
- How to Take Photos of Kittens: Cell Phone Edition
- How to Find a Home for a Foster Kitten
- Picking The Right Adopter
Here are just a few local rescue groups we recommend. Please check out their website to see if they have certain intake procedures:
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S.A.V.E Rescue Coalition
https://www.saverescue.org/ info@saverescue.org Gulf Coast Tiny Paws Rescue https://gulfcoasttinypawsrescue.org/ gulfcoasttinypawsrescue@gmail.com Mutts & Meows Rescue https://www.facebook.com/Mutts-Meows-Rescue-346902595407/ |
Second Chance Pets
http://www.secondchancepets.org/ pets2adopt@yahoo.com Rangers Reach https://www.rangersreach.org/ rangersreach@gmail.com Three Little Pitties All Breed Rescue https://www.threelittlepittiesrescue.org/contact kitties@threelittlepittiesrescue.org |
Here is a full list of rescue groups in Texas.
If you find that you are not having luck finding placement for kittens, you can also attempt to reach out to your local animal control facility and see if they would allow you to foster the kittens through their program until they are adopted. Check out our Rehoming a Pet page for a full list of animal control agencies in the area.
Finding an Adopter on Your Own
If you are not having luck finding placement for the kittens in a rescue group, you may have a lot of luck finding the kitten’s homes on your own using social media, flyers, word of mouth, etc.
We recommend you place the kittens on Adopt-A-Pet Rehome. Learn more here: https://rehome.adoptapet.com/. (This website is not affiliated with our non-profit).
Be sure to get the kittens spayed/neutered and vaccinated prior to placement, when possible. Most clinics will spay/neuter kittens at 12 weeks, but some will spay/neuter them as early as 8 weeks. If you need help getting kittens spayed/neutered and vaccinated, please email us at lifelinegalvestoncounty@gmail.com.
If you find that you are not having luck finding placement for kittens, you can also attempt to reach out to your local animal control facility and see if they would allow you to foster the kittens through their program until they are adopted. Check out our Rehoming a Pet page for a full list of animal control agencies in the area.
Finding an Adopter on Your Own
If you are not having luck finding placement for the kittens in a rescue group, you may have a lot of luck finding the kitten’s homes on your own using social media, flyers, word of mouth, etc.
We recommend you place the kittens on Adopt-A-Pet Rehome. Learn more here: https://rehome.adoptapet.com/. (This website is not affiliated with our non-profit).
Be sure to get the kittens spayed/neutered and vaccinated prior to placement, when possible. Most clinics will spay/neuter kittens at 12 weeks, but some will spay/neuter them as early as 8 weeks. If you need help getting kittens spayed/neutered and vaccinated, please email us at lifelinegalvestoncounty@gmail.com.
I’ve tried, but I can’t find placement for the kittens. What should I do?
Kittens can be spayed/neutered and returned to the colony just like adult cats. This will at least keep them from breeding and creating more kittens.
Learn more about TNR and the resources we can provide by visiting our I need help with community/outdoor cats! page.
Learn more about TNR and the resources we can provide by visiting our I need help with community/outdoor cats! page.