Caregivers at Heaven Can Wait Animal Rescue Foundation in High River have their hands full caring for kittens.

Heaven Can Wait Founder Kim Hessel says they currently have 44 kittens under the age of seven weeks at the shelter, some of which require extra care and attention because they are still so small.

She says they are inundated with kitten drop-offs at this time each year.

"It seems to be the same pretty much every year, unfortunately, which is a little bit disheartening," Hessel says. "We start seeing kittens typically in March and April and we will  see those youngsters throughout the whole next number of months. Usually by November is when we stop seeing them regularly."

She points out that there is a higher survival rate for kittens during the warmer months. Also, when people relocate during the summer, sometimes their animals get left behind. Hessel says many of those animals end up at the shelter.

Caring for the kittens requires shelter resources in terms of time, food, vet visits and medication. And the costs continue to add up as the animals grow into adults.

"As they mature, we still have to cover off the costs of vaccines and parasite treatments and get these animals spay/neutered, and the time involved with finding homes for them all," she explains. "It, to me, is one of those circumstances where all of this can be avoided if you simply make that effort to have your cat spay/neutered."

She says that the increase in kitten numbers at the shelter during the summer months comes during a time when adoption rates tend to decline. The kittens will be ready to adopt out at eight weeks old and Hessel hopes that anyone thinking of welcoming a cat into their family will contact Heaven Can Wait.

 

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