Meow! It’s kitten season
Hayward Animal Shelter is calling on residents to spay or neuter their cats and consider getting involved in its Trap Neuter and Return (TNR) program to help humanely manage the city’s feral feline population.
Each year, thousands of kittens are born during kitten season in the Bay Area. Unfortunately, there are more kittens than households willing and able to take in cats. Spaying and neutering helps decrease the over-population and greatly alleviates kitten-season strain on animal shelters.
If you would like to help the Hayward shelter prepare, consider donating items that get a lot of use during kitten season—and think about becoming a volunteer to help clean kitten kennels.
If you find homeless kittens, check first for signs that they are being cared for by a mother cat, as this is their best chance of survival during the first weeks of life. Once they are eight weeks old, TNR the whole family or, if the kittens can be safely handled, make an appointment to bring the whole family into the shelter. If kittens have been abandoned or are in danger, consider fostering them or make an appointment to bring them into the shelter, (510) 293-7200, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday.
To learn more about the TNR program, check out this Hayward Animal Shelter video.
