COLUMBIA, S.C. — Kitten season. It's a time of year that brings both joy and challenges.
Libba Ulery works with the adoptions and communications departments at Pawmetto Lifeline in Columbia. She says, "a lot of people think that [kitten season] is based on weather as far as it gets warm but it's actually based on the number of hours of daylight we have and the longer the day is, the more births."
She mentions that kitten season can be challenging for shelters as some can see an 80% increase in kitten intake. “We a lot of times during kitten season, we may have as many as 400 kittens in our care,” Ulery says.
Spaying and neutering pets is a crucial step in controlling the cat population.
Ulery brings up that “In our area in Lexington and Richland County, we have the community cat diversion policy, which mandates that any cat domesticated or feral that is outside has to be spayed or neutered.”
Many shelters, including Pawmetto Lifeline, offer low-cost spay and neuter programs.
Another impactful way to help during kitten season is to consider adopting or fostering.
If you happen to find any stray kittens, the staff at Pawmetto Lifeline urges you to contact their intake program.