Washington, DC – Today the Humane Society for Shelter Pets (HSSP) encourages residents to help their local pet shelters alleviate the strain of autumn’s kitten season by adopting, volunteering their time, or donating resources to rescues and humane societies.

In most parts of the United States, kittens are born within a few weeks of tax day in April. They are ready to leave their mothers (if they have them) in June or July. Cats that are not spayed can have another litter in August and those kittens are ready to be adopted in October. This large influx of cats can put excessive strain on local pet groups, who are still working to care for and adopt cats born in April.

“Autumn’s kitten season can be a hectic and stressful period for shelters and rescues in your neighborhood,” said Diana Culp, Director of HSSP. “The Humane Society for Shelter Pets wants to remind Americans to give support at the local level to make the most difference in animal welfare in their communities. Contrary to common perception, national groups like the Humane Society of the United States are unaffiliated with and generally don’t provide much financial support to local groups.”

Below are just a few tips that can help your local shelter weather the stormy kitten season:

• Goat’s milk can be used to feed babies in a pinch. Call your local shelter to see if they have any newborns in need of this product, then swing by your neighborhood market and pick up a few cartons.
• Microwavable disks for buffet dining or stadium seating are another helpful item to donate. These handy little items make excellent warmers for kittens. Hungry kittens must be fed very slowly, and if they are not warm, they can’t eat.
• If you’re already volunteering at a local shelter, offer to write up some personal ads for available kittens or put up some posters with adoption information at local libraries or retail stores.
• Facebook is another great way to spread the word about adoptable pets. Ask your shelter for photos of kittens and then get creative! By adding written messages or photoshopping kittens into an amazing background, you can help make them stand out from the crowded world of Internet cats!

To find your local shelter and start helping go to www.humaneforpets.com/find-shelters.