Tis the season – Kitten season!

We’re gearing up for the most wonderful time of the year – kitten season! When the days become longer and warmer, outdoor cats, most of whom are not spayed or neutered, start breeding, resulting in a large number of new litters between the spring and fall. In fact, roughly 80% of kittens born in the U.S. each year arrive during Kitten Season (HSUS, 2023). This period typically brings an influx of newborn cats in need of care to animal shelters during the summer months.

Three years ago, Metro Denver CAT, now known as the Metro Cat Street Team, became a Humane Colorado program to help further prevent suffering and homelessness among cats and kittens in Denver, especially those who live outdoors. Based out of our Veterinary Hospital at CSU Spur, the Metro Cat Street Team focuses on humane Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) services in areas highly impacted by feral and community cat colonies, which helps improve feline health through sterilization and vaccines; reduce overpopulation community-wide; and ease the relations between people, pet cats, and free-roaming cats who live in shared spaces. Moreover, research suggests that spayed/neutered cats tend to live healthier lives and are less likely to develop certain behavioral issues, cancer, and other health conditions.

Vaccinations are also an integral part of kitten care. Vaccinating young cats at the same time they are spayed/neutered is critical to preventing illness, including Panleukopenia (also referred to as Panleuk) virus – a serious, contagious, and often fatal disease. Spread through bodily secretions, Panleuk has a range of symptoms. The virus decreases white blood cells, making it difficult for an infected cat’s immune system to properly respond.

Humane Colorado and other shelters tend to see higher outbreak rates in the summer months when we take in many stray kittens. In addition to rigorous cleaning and quarantine protocols, our veterinary team provides preventative care, including vaccines, to all cats and kittens in our shelter to help stem the spread of disease like Panleuk. To help keep owned cats in our community safe, we also offer donor-subsidized, low-cost, pop-up vaccine clinics so that all families can safeguard their pets. In 2023, we performed 11,155 spay/neuter surgeries on owned cats. According to Humane Colorado Medical Director, Dr. Rimme Singh,

Vaccinations are hugely important to preventing Panleukopenia and providing immunity to our cat population. We recommend vaccines in kittens every 2-4 weeks until they are 16 weeks old to help prevent disease. For our adult community cats, we will vaccinate at the time of spay/neuter.

Read more about the success of our community vaccine clinics here!

Notably, the 2024 kitten season looked a bit different than in recent years past. Fewer kittens arrived at our doors last summer than anticipated with our total population lower than pre-pandemic levels.

One reason for the smaller population is due to the increased interest in cats as companion animals. The increase in cat adoptions may be due to fewer financial and housing-related barriers associated with owning a cat as compared to owning a dog. Moreover, the current decline in kittens may be associated with hindered access to spay/neutered procedures during the height of COVID-19. With social distancing, prioritization of medical supplies for pandemic response, and safety precautions in place at the time, spay/neuter services – and veterinary interactions more broadly – were curtailed, leading to a greater number of litters in the summers of 2020 through 2023.

Now that these procedures are largely resumed, we are seeing fewer kittens enter our facilities. Nationally, shelter intakes from community resources decreased 5.2%, which is roughly 85,000 fewer cats, in the first half of 2024 as compared to 2023 (Shelter Animals Count, 2024).

We never quite know what to anticipate each kitten season, but we’re prepared for what may come this year. Our animal population and patron interest are ever changing, and now more than ever, Humane Colorado is in need of volunteers to help cats and kittens, dogs, puppies, and small pets thrive – no matter the season.

Support the care of in-need momma cats and their kittens all season long – Donate today!
Found a litter of kittens outside? Here’s what to do!
Ready to start your next volunteer opportunity? See how you can get involved!
Feeling lonely? Cats make the purrrfect roommates! View cats and kittens for adoption.