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EASEL News: April 2020

Kitten Season (continued from page 1)

animal shelters. EASEL, as you can away if she feels threatened by you, so
imagine, is extraordinarily busy this time don’t get too close to the kittens.
of year with managing the community
feline overpopulation and dealing with Okay…the mom did come back.
the increased volume of kittens coming • Great! If the mom seems to be
into the Ewing Animal Shelter. EASEL relocating the kittens, you may not see
relies on 2 of its most successful programs them again. If she seems to have set up
during this time to manage the increase: a nest on your property, you can provide
Trap, Neuter, Return (TNR) and the Foster additional shelter and leave food out. home to animals, where they are loved,
Network. • At about 5 weeks, kittens will start cared for, and socialized until they find
to eat on their own. Let your local rescue their forever home. This program also
TNR Program group know you have a mom and kittens frees up shelter space to take in more stray
As part of the TNR program, members living on your property. They can provide animals from the community, including
of outdoor cat colonies are trapped, given traps once the kittens are weaned to get those currently housed in ‘kill’ shelters,
a health check, rabies vaccination, and are the mom and kittens fixed. where their chances of euthanasia are
then spayed/neutered. Kittens and adult great. If you’re interested in becoming a
cats comfortable with human interaction The mom hasn’t come back! foster host, here’s some information:
are considered for adoption. Feral cats, • If it has been several hours with no
those that are not or cannot be socialized sign of a mother, or if the kittens are in What’s required of me?
to humans, are returned to their home an imminently dangerous situation, you • Love, care for, feed, and provide a safe,
territory. should try to capture the kittens. nurturing environment for the animal
The TNR program has been very • Find a pet carrier (or a box if you don’t until a forever family is found—each
successful in reducing the size of cat have a carrier). Line it with newspaper. animal is different, so the foster period will
colonies over time. Since 2011, EASEL has • Kittens have extra skin at the base of vary
trapped and spayed/neutered 3,736 cats their neck called scruff. This is the easiest • EASEL is responsible for all of the
from 596 separate colonies. EASEL can way to pick them up and will keep their animal’s medical treatments, so visits may
assist residents who identify and manage nails and teeth opposite your hand. Don’t be required from time-to-time
feral cat colonies throughout Mercer worry, scruffing kittens doesn’t hurt them. • Bring your foster pet to 3 EASEL
County. • Kitten litters usually range between 2 Adoption Day events per month, and
If you see a colony of kittens loitering and 6 kittens. You may need to return to make arrangements to meet potential
about, follow these important tips: the spot several times over the course of adopters or, once altered, your foster will
• Unless the kittens are in a dangerous a few hours to make sure no kittens were be housed at the shelter or with one of
situation or clearly suffering, do NOT pick hiding out of site. our off-site adoption partners (pet store or
them up. • Call your local shelter or animal vet office)
• Immediate danger includes severe control to ask what to do with abandoned
weather (rain, frost, heat), a dangerous kittens. Benefits of Fostering
environment (near busy roads, loose • Lots of happy licks and tail wagging
dogs), etc. Resources • For most animals, EASEL will promote
• Most kittens found outside are being For trap loans, contact EASEL Animal your foster as an available adoptee on
well cared for by their mother or by a Rescue 609-883-0540 info@easelnj.org PetFinder
community, called a “colony,” of feral cats. • For more information on abandoned • An opportunity to have a companion
While shelters and volunteers work hard kitten care: pet without a life-long commitment
to ensure cats in colonies are “fixed” so • https://meowbox.com/ • An enriching and rewarding
they can’t reproduce, newcomers to the blog/2016/3/10-steps-to-save- experience!
colonies often aren’t and reproduce. abandoned-kittens • An appreciative companion and
• https://humanebroward.com/ knowing you saved a life
But I don’t see a mother... found-kittens/ How to Become a Foster
• The mom cat may be out looking • http://www.animalalliancenyc.org/
for food or finding a new home for her wordpress/2013/05/what-to-do-and- You can contact the Foster Coordinator
babies. If the kittens look healthy and not-do-if-you-find-a-newborn-kitten/ at 609-883-0540 for more information,
uninjured, keep your eye on their location and we encourage you to submit a cat
from a distance (more than 35 feet) and Foster Network (or dog) foster application online. Our
wait for the mother to return. Healthy EEASEL could not save as many animal Foster Coordinator will contact you to
kittens are okay without their mother for lives as it does without its incredible foster evaluate your household arrangements
a couple of hours. And mom might stay network. A foster provides a temporary and personal preferences in order to
match you with a homeless animal.

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