Glossary

Kitten season

The warm months, from spring to autumn, when many unspayed cats give birth and shelters take in far more kittens than usual.

Also called: kitten boom, birthing season, spring kitten surge

Kitten season is the time of year when most cats are born. Cats are seasonal breeders, and longer, warmer days bring females into heat repeatedly. In the northern hemisphere births usually begin in early spring, peak in late spring and summer, and slow in autumn. In mild climates the season can start earlier and last longer.

An unspayed female can become pregnant from about four to six months of age and may have several litters a year, so numbers rise quickly. Shelters and rescues often see a sharp jump in intake and run short of space, food and foster care homes. Orphaned or abandoned newborns need round-the-clock feeding, which is why fosters are in such demand.

If you find kittens outdoors, do not rush to take them. The mother is often away feeding and may return. Watch from a distance for a few hours, and call a local rescue or shelter for advice, especially if the kittens are cold, injured or crying for a long time. Do not feed a young kitten cow's milk, and ask a vet or the rescue what to use. The best way to reduce kitten season is to spay and neuter pet cats early and support trap-neuter-return programmes for free-roaming cats.

Last reviewed November 7, 2026

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Related terms

Animal shelter A facility that takes in stray, lost and surrendered animals, holds them, and works to return them to owners or place them in new homes. Foster care Caring for a shelter or rescue cat in your own home for a limited time until it is adopted, often a kitten, a mother or a recovering cat. Community cat An umbrella term for any cat living outdoors that is not confined, whether friendly or feral, owned or unowned. Trap-neuter-return A programme in which free-roaming cats are humanely trapped, neutered, vaccinated, ear-tipped and then returned to where they were found. Neuter The surgery that removes a male cat's testicles so he cannot father kittens, with fewer urges to roam, fight and spray. Spay The surgery that removes a female cat's ovaries, and usually the uterus, so she can no longer become pregnant or go into heat.