There's a kitten family at my house. What do I do?

If you have found a kitten or a litter of kittens, the first thing to do is wait and watch to see if their mother returns. Newborn or very young kittens are best left with their mother until they are at least four weeks old, as she is best able to take care of them - you can find a guide to determining the kitten's age here. After four weeks of age, or if their mother does not come back to them after four or more hours, the kittens will benefit greatly from your help. You can be a superhero to these kittens if you can step in and become their temporary family while they grow and get prepared to go to their new homes. Check out this information to help you decide what to do here.

Rescue groups may also be able to provide additional support or assistance with caring for kittens or desexing. You can use our Rescue Directory Map to find groups in your area.

Remember, in most cases, the worst outcomes for cats and the people who love them result from taking the cat to your local shelter or council. Research shows that lost pet cats are more likely to find their way back home themselves than if they are picked up and taken into care, with only 5% of cats who enter council facilities or shelters being reunited with their owners.

Even if the cats are unowned, if they are healthy cats in good condition, don’t attempt to trap them and take them to your council or shelter. There are better ways of managing and reducing cat numbers, like the Australian Pet Welfare Foundation’s Community Cat Program model. Alley Cat Allies also has some great information and resources to help if you want to be a great ally for cats in your community.

It is worth noting that we’re currently in the midst of a national cat vaccination shortage - so many rescues, shelters and councils, unfortunately aren’t able to take urban stray cats into their care. To find out more about what this means, see this article.

Now more than ever, it is important that we support cats where they are in the community to keep them out of shelters and get as many cats desexed as we can - desexed cats are happier and healthier cats who create fewer issues for their neighbours!

The sad truth is that council facilities and shelters are generally not safe places for kittens and cats, with thousands killed each year. PetRescue is trying to change this, and we’d love your help. Read more about our Safe & Sound Pets campaign here.