Summer is the peak of the kitten season all around the US. For more than ten years, animal shelters in the USA have observed that the kitten season (summer) begins earlier and lasts longer.
Key Takeaways of kitten Season
- Animal shelters in the USA have observed that the kitten season (summer) begins earlier and lasts longer.
- The female cats start to reproduce in their estrus phase, commonly called going into heat.
- Prolonged daylight initiates a cat’s estrus; however, the effect of increasing temperatures during the kitten season has not yet been cleared.
- All the animal shelters are struggling to face this latest reality.
When is Kitten Season?
This kitten season is generally defined as the hot-weather months between fall and spring, during which a feline becomes very fertile. Few professionals claim that climate change effects, like an earlier beginning to spring and milder winters, might be the reason for the increase in cat birth rates.
At Dunn’s shelter, a clinic was held for neutering and spaying outdoor felines this past Feb. Even though kitten season does not usually start till May in Northern California, managers observed that more than half of the felines were already pregnant. Dunn said that it is incredibly frightening.
The female cats start to reproduce in their estrus phase, commonly called going into heat. Their behavior and hormones change in this heat phase, showing she is ready to produce. They can enter the heat cycle at different times a year, with every cycle staying for around two weeks.
However, births typically increase between April – October. While it has been proved that prolonged daylight initiates a cat’s estrus, the effect of rising temperatures on the kitten season is not yet apparent.
Another theory is that the milder winters might mean felines have the resources to start mating. The food supply of outdoor cats may be enhanced, as some prey, like little rodents. Also, there are more chances of kittens’ survival as winters are less strict.
Despite this mechanism, the vast number of wild felines around means problems for not only animal shelters. They are top predators that can destroy local biodiversity. Studies reveal that outside felines on islands have already contributed to or led to the extinction of around 33 species. Wild felines cause a massive risk to birds as well.
Everybody, including conservationists, scientists, and cat advocates, agrees that unrestricted outside cat populations are a trouble. While few conservationists said that the targeted murder of cats, called culling, feline populations have been noticed to bounce back rapidly, a solo cat and her little one can produce around a hundred descendants in just seven years.
Additionally, all the animal shelters, already under tension from vet and resource shortages, need help to face their latest reality. While few of them produce materials to assist society in recognizing when outside kittens require intervention, some emphasize engaging in adoptive volunteer programs, which are crucial in caring for little babies.
References:
- https://cientificamerican.com/article/kitten-season-is-out-of-control-are-warmer-winters-to-blame/
- https://www.wired.com/story/kitten-season-global-warming-cat-breeding/#:~:text=Across%20the%20United%20States%2C%20summer,a%20cat%20becomes%20most%20fertile.
