It was three in the morning, and this wasn’t the first time Bonny M. had been up that night at her Alexandria home. Only two hours had gone by, but it was time for yet another feeding for tiny Bentley and Cupid, two newborn kittens, one of them orange and the other mostly white. Bleary-eyed herself, Bonny still had an advantage over her tiny charges, whose eyes were yet to open.
Not far away, Emily B. was following a similar schedule. Bentley and Cupid’s litter mates, known as Morris and Blitz, also were awaiting nourishment from a syringe, and it was time to feed and cuddle.
All four kittens were the offspring of an outdoor cat who couldn’t care for them, brought to the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria (AWLA) just before this year’s “kitten season” got rolling. Kitten season occurs as the weather gets warmer, when most kittens are born. Many of the kittens come from unowned cats who birth their litters outside, often in backyards, crawl spaces and sheds.
Newborn and very young kittens need frequent feedings and other care, and when those kittens don’t have the support of a mother cat, the AWLA turns to a corps of foster volunteers who take the animals on until they are big enough to be adopted, generally between 7 and 10 weeks of age. “The foster acts as the kittens’ mother, feeding them, giving them hygienic care, keeping them warm and enriching them with snuggles and compassion,” said AWLA Veterinary and Foster Care Coordinator Logan Shannahan.
People who encounter kittens outdoors should generally leave them alone if they appear healthy, the AWLA advises. Kittens have the best chance to thrive in the care of their mothers. The AWLA recommends that kittens under the age of six weeks only be brought to the shelter in cases of emergency, which includes kittens who are visibly sick, kittens trapped or otherwise in danger, and those who appear to have been abandoned by their mother. Even if the mother is not visible for a while, kittens still may be safe and just waiting for her return. “Mom will be better than human care almost every time,” Shannahan said.
For Bentley, Cupid, Morris and Blitz, care provided by the foster “parents” must have felt almost as nice as the real thing. In the early days, Bentley and Cupid lived in a basket loaded with blankets and warmed with a heating pad. As the kittens got a bit older, Cupid, with only one eye open, would tackle Bentley — still blind as a bat – for wrestling matches, Bonny said. Caring for the kittens was a family affair. Bonny’s husband took on the early-morning feeding shifts, and their college-student son would help with care too. Bonny’s husband often handled the medical side, administering eye drops and deworming medications as prescribed by the shelter.
Bentley grew into a “proper young lady,” as one shelter staffer put it, a bit reserved but also very affectionate. Cupid was the explorer, very confident and independent. Both kittens loved chasing the yarn and thread Bonny uses as a textile artist. But when evening rolled around and Bonny’s husband relaxed in his easy chair, both kittens would climb up onto him to snooze, along with the 10-year-old family cat and their dogs.
At the home of Emily and her boyfriend, Kevin D., Morris and Blitz displayed similar personality distinctions. Blitz was more playful and very outgoing when meeting new people, Emily said, while Morris was more sensitive and the “ultimate love.”
The weeks flew by and all four kittens returned to the shelter, where kittens are usually quickly adopted. They were. But not far from the adoption area, other kittens were arriving, undergoing medical checkups and heading to foster homes for nurturing. Kitten season was in full swing.
People who have questions or concerns about the welfare of a kitten found in the City of Alexandria should not handle them but instead should call the AWLA at 703.746.6000. To donate supplies to support the hundreds of kittens seen by the AWLA each year, go to AlexandriaAnimals.org/KittenSeason.
This story was originally printed in the Alexandria Gazette on May 18.