You hear a squeak from under a hedge, and there they are: three or four kittens, nobody with them. Every instinct says scoop them up. Most of the time, that’s the worst thing you can do.
A mother cat leaves her kittens to find food, and sometimes to move them one at a time to a new spot. She can be gone for hours. If you take them while she’s away, they lose the one carer who can feed them properly.
The short version
- Step well back and watch from out of sight.
- Wait a few hours. Mum is usually nearby.
- Clean, plump, quiet kittens are being looked after.
- Cold, dirty, crying non-stop or hurt? Call a rescue or a vet now.
- Under 8 weeks, they belong with their mother.
Wait, and watch from far away
The US charity Alley Cat Allies, which has worked with street cats since 1990, says to watch for several hours, or even a full day, before stepping in. Stand back at least 10 metres, further if you can. A mother who was born outside won’t come back while a person is standing over her nest.
Can’t wait around? Sprinkle a little flour in front of the nest and check later. If she’s been back, she’ll have left paw prints.
Don’t leave food by the kittens to lure her back. Mothers keep their litter away from food, because food draws other cats and animals.
How to tell they’re fine
- Round bellies. Kittens that are being fed look full, not bony.
- Clean and warm. Pink noses, dry fur, sleeping in a pile.
- Quiet. Fed kittens sleep. Hungry ones cry, and keep crying.
When they need help now
Don’t wait if you see any of these. Call a local cat rescue or a vet:
- They’re cold to touch, thin, or very weak.
- Crusty eyes or nose, diarrhoea, or trouble breathing.
- An injury, or a kitten that can’t stand.
- Real danger: a busy road, a building site, rain flooding the nest.
- You’ve watched all day and the mother hasn’t come back.
While you wait for help, keep them warm. A box with a towel, and a bottle of warm water wrapped in a cloth, is enough. Never give a kitten cow’s milk. Kittens need special kitten milk, which any vet or pet shop sells.
How old are they?
Age decides what happens next. Our kitten age chart shows how to tell, from eyes and ears to teeth.
- Under 8 weeks, with their mother. Leave them be. Help the mother instead, with extra wet food set down away from the nest.
- Under 8 weeks, no mother. They need a foster home, fast. The youngest need bottle feeding around the clock, so call a rescue before you try it alone.
- 8 weeks and older. Old enough to be neutered, and still young enough to get used to people. This is the moment to find them homes, or to get them neutered and returned.
Then: the mother
An unneutered female can have up to three litters a year, according to International Cat Care. If she isn’t neutered, this won’t be her last. Once her kittens are weaned, ask a local cat group or your council about neutering her. Our guide to trap, neuter and return explains how it works.
Snap the litter with Island of Cats. Kittens on the map get checked on.
