Finding tiny kittens alone is alarming, and the natural reaction is to scoop them up. But in many cases the mother cat is simply out hunting or moving her litter, and kittens have the best chance of survival with her. The right first step depends on the kittens’ condition.
First, check for immediate danger
Take the kittens in straight away if they are:
- Injured, visibly sick (eyes crusted shut, struggling to breathe, very weak) or covered in fleas
- In danger from traffic, rain, flooding, extreme heat or cold, dogs or other predators
- Cold to the touch, wet or dirty, or crying loudly and continuously for a long time
- Thin, with a sunken belly and visible hip bones
In these situations, the kittens need warmth and care now. See caring for orphaned kittens and puppies.
If they look healthy, watch from a distance
Kittens that are clean, round-bellied and sleeping quietly in a pile are almost certainly being cared for. Mother cats often leave their litter for hours at a time to find food, and they will not return while people are standing nearby.
- Move well away, at least 10 meters (about 35 feet) or out of sight, and watch for a few hours.
- You can sprinkle a little flour around the nest to see paw prints if you cannot watch continuously.
- If the weather is poor, you can place a box on its side or a sheltered bed near the nest without moving the kittens far.
If the mother returns, the best thing you can do is leave the family together and, if you like, provide food and water at a distance. Once the kittens are around 8 weeks old and eating solid food, they can be separated for socialization and adoption, and the mother can be taken to a vet for neutering.
If the mother does not return
If several hours pass with no sign of the mother, or the kittens’ condition gets worse (they start crying constantly, become cold or dirty), they need to be taken in.
- Warm them first. Hold them against your body or place them on a covered, low-heat heating pad or a warm water bottle wrapped in a towel. Never feed a cold kitten; its body cannot digest food until it is warm.
- Estimate their age with our kitten age and feeding chart.
- Contact a veterinarian as soon as possible for a health check.
- Never give cow’s milk. Kittens need a commercial kitten milk replacer, fed from a bottle or syringe made for kittens.
How to tell if kittens are feral
Very young kittens can be socialized to people fairly easily. After about 8 weeks, kittens that have not had gentle contact with people become harder to tame, although many can still learn. Adult cats that avoid people are usually community (feral) cats and are best helped through neutering programs rather than being taken indoors; see what TNR is.
This guide is general information and not a substitute for veterinary advice.