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Shelter urges residents not to remove unattended kittens; cites city ordinance on nursing animals
Summary
Shelter staff advised residents to leave unattended kittens with their mother unless the animals are cold, noisy, malnourished, or left alone for several hours; staff said a city ordinance in Chapter 4 requires humane euthanasia for nursing animals impounded without their mother or when the mother cannot or refuses to provide milk.
Shelter staff advised residents to assess unattended kittens before removing them, saying most litters should be left with the mother unless the animals show signs of distress.
"Do not pick them up and bring them into the shelter or take them into your home," the shelter staff member said, adding that people should check whether kittens are warm, healthy and quiet and that a quietly resting litter usually means the mother is nearby.
The staff member said residents should watch a litter for a few hours; if kittens are noisy, cold, malnourished, or the mother does not return, people should make arrangements to bring them to the shelter. The staff member recommended six to eight weeks as an appropriate time to remove kittens for adoption: by that age kittens are typically weaned, have teeth and can eat hard food, and often reach a weight suitable for spay or neuter.
The speaker said a local regulation also limits what the shelter can do with nursing animals. Paraphrasing city guidance, the staff member said that under city ordinance Chapter 4 the municipality requires humane euthanasia for nursing animals impounded without their mother or when the mother cannot or refuses to provide sufficient milk "to prevent further suffering." The shelter did not provide the ordinance text or any exceptions during the remarks.
The shelter reiterated that immediate removal of a quiet, warm litter often separates kittens from their mother unnecessarily; the staff member directed residents to observe and, when appropriate, bring kittens to the shelter at the recommended age so they can be weaned, vaccinated and prepared for spay/neuter and adoption.
