NEWPORT NEWS — With the warm weather comes the tiny sounds of kittens’ mews. Every year, shelters and rescues are inundated with the infantile felines during what is referred to as, “kitten season.”
Peninsula Regional Animal Shelter (PRAS), 5843 Jefferson Ave. in Newport News, is the animal intake facility that serves York County, Poquoson, Hampton and Newport News. The shelter is prepping for this year’s flood of kittens.
One of the many missions of PRAS is to educate the community. Many ask, “What do I do if I find a baby kitten?”
The number one thing to remember is to never immediately remove a kitten from where you found it. Your local shelter, humane society, or animal services department can provide advice as to when the proper time is to intervene. The mother cat could be nearby and is simply waiting for you to leave before retrieving her baby.
The infographics below (courtesy of PRAS) provide some more clarification as to what to do if you find a kitten:
Additionally, PRAS is looking for aid from the community. First, the shelter is seeking foster families for adoptable animals.
“One of the best places for these little guys [kittens] [is] away from the shelter where there is less risk of being exposed to any germs/sickness,” said Tiffany Webb, media, marketing and adoption coordinator for PRAS.
PRAS provides fosters with all of the supplies they will need as well as medical support and training/guidance as they care for the kittens (or other adoptable animals) that are placed in their care.
“We want the fosters to feel prepared every step of the way so even those who are new or unsure if they could handle certain aspects… well we got them!” said Webb.
Additionally, the shelter is asking for supplies to help care for the kittens. These are commonly used items this time of year but regularly go out of stock at PRAS.
The shelter has partnered with Petco, located at 12551 Jefferson Ave #119 in Newport News, to provide shopping lists and a drop off point for the shelter.
Through Sunday, May 23, PRAS is hosting a Virtual Kitten Shower through its Facebook page. The shelter is posting fun games, videos, infographics regarding the shelter’s fostering program, and “all things baby kitten.” The virtual event can be found by clicking here: Virtual Kitten Shower.
For more information, please give PRAS a phone call at (757) 933-8900.
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