05/29/2026
I am going to apologize ahead of time to all of the responsible pet owners, as this is going to be a bit of a rant. Thank you for caring for your fur babies and doing what you do!
As many of you probably know, we relocated to South Georgia back in the fall. Now kitten season everywhere is rough but kitten season down here is something completely different. It’s out of control, like something I could never imagine. Kittens everywhere: in people’s yards, at random businesses, grocery store parking lots - literally everywhere. I love kittens, there is nothing better than a good kitten cuddle. But there is a such thing as too much of a good thing. There are much more sweet kittens than responsible pet owners.
We do not normally take in kittens because we usually do not adopt our cats or kittens out. The process we use for adoption is very thorough to make sure our sweet babies not only get a good home but are spayed/neutered as soon as they are old enough, are vaccinated, and receive regular vet care. It’s a lot, and we prefer to use our time and resources on the resident cats in our care. This year have taken in three mama cats, four full litters, and several other single kittens.
To say kitten season has kicked our butts is an understatement. Two of the four litters had healthy kittens. Two did not. We had way too many vet visits. One of our mama cats had an STD. Did you know cats could get STDs? I did not! This made her milk quality poor, and her babies were born premature and sick. Even through our constant efforts, out of eight kittens, only one has survived, and she was just treated for pneumonia. Sick mama cats have sick kittens. These unvaccinated street cats should not continue to reproduce. We have buried eight kittens so far. They all hurt, but the last one this morning really stung. I don’t want to lose anymore kittens. They deserve so much better.
The bugs and pests down here are terrible, as well. Bug bites can be fatal to these little ones. The fleas are awful. Did you know that flea bites cause anemia? They literally suck the life out of these tiny babies. Little kittens can’t fight that.
Free kittens are not free. They are a lifetime commitment. They need vaccinations to stay healthy and regular vet check ups to detect any problems that may arise. Regular flea treatment is necessary to kill and prevent fleas. They also should be spayed/neutered by six months of age. Healthy cats stay indoors away from pests, predators, and sick animals. If you cannot afford to be a responsible pet owner, please do not adopt a kitten. It’s a lifetime commitment.
The best thing we can do to help solve this problem is to get these cats spayed and neutered. If you have a cat, please get it spayed or neutered. There are many low cost programs available. If you have no transportation to the vet or spay/ neuter clinics, please reach out to us. We offer free transportation in the Albany/Leesburg area. We also offer free flea treatment, ear mite treatment, and cat litter and food to cat owners who are going through a tough time. Our resources are always free! If you are interested in donating anything to help, please reach out! We accept any brand of cat food, litter, or other supplies for use in our shelter or to distribute to our neighbors in need.
Thank you for reading and doing what you can to help the cats and kittens and to help reduce the number of sick and unwanted cats in our area. Every little bit helps!
Picture is our sweet Xyla, who was treated this week for pneumonia and is fighting to recover.
