r/CatRescue • • May 30 '26

Advice / Question Found Kittens; Assess the Situation

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44 Upvotes

You can find other helpful topics and leads to resources in our full wiki at this link. As always we encourage sharsies of information! If you have resources or helpful leads, let us know.

The followin is from wiki about kittens:

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Important Note: If you have found a very young kitten or litter outside, watch from a far distance and wait to see if their mother returns before intervening. Barring extenuating circumstances (dangerous location, extreme weather, illness or injury), kittens younger than eight weeks are best left with their mother due to the around the clock care they require. For further reading, Alley Cat Allies has a comprehensive guide on What to Do if You Find Kittens Outdoors that outlines different scenarios and when to intervene.

There are many kitten resources but if you have never cared for a kitten before remember these essential basics:

  1. Kittens are extremely vulnerable. Their health can be fine one minute and take a critical nosedive within hours.
  2. New born kittens need warmth. They are not yet able to regulate their body temperature and they get cold fast. If you have a heating pad make sure the kitten can roll away from it if they get too warm. 
  3. Kittens must be fed every couple to a few hours depending upon age (kitten formula or temporarily goat's milk; do not feed cow's milk). They have very high metabolisms. Do not feed them when they are cold. Because they cannot regulate their body heat, giving them cold food will be very difficult to digest and cause them to become cold as well.
  4. Kittens are unable to urinate and defecate on their own. The mother cat does this normally but if the kitten is seperated from its mother, a human caretaker can stimulate this with a tissue or soft cloth by gently rubbing the anus and genital area not long after they eat. This should be done with care and not too long as these areas are easily irritated.

Following Alley Cat Allies' What to Do if You find Kittens Outdoors, they have an more comprehensive Kitten Protection Guide as an downloadable pdf. This guide has more indepth care instructions for the different stages of kitten life. If you find and take in a kitten/s (without its mother) from outdoors your primary goal is to sustain the kitten/s until it can be brought to a vet (for a health check) then, a rescue (because they have experience caring for kittens). There are searchable databases of vets, rescues and shelters here. This database is not exhaustive and you should also look for vets in your locale if none are nearby.

The guide focuses on kittens between 0-8 weeks of age and notable topics are: Feedin Kittens, Warmth, Developmental Milestones, Socialization & Hygene, Potty Time and General Care of a Nursin Kitty Mom.

It is an online guide; to turn the page you tap on the arrow on the bottom of the guide's page. Underlined items are hyperlinks that take you to websites which give more information.

The mods of r/CatRescue recommend general kitten advice in the wiki from Kitten Lady, her Kitten Care resources can be found here. Kitten Lady is a well trusted and knowledgable source of information and advice. For medical issues, a veterinarian should be your primary consult.

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r/CatRescue has no affiliation with any of the resources listed and we encourage everyone to use their best judgement to check if said resources are up to date.


r/CatRescue • • Nov 06 '25

Mod Announcement Low Cost to Free Cat Food Resources

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122 Upvotes

We are working on our Cat Food (Affordable/ Free) wiki page and currently have a good number of databases listed for you to help search including some programs which are organized by state and not already listed in the databases. Even if you may feel you have food covered for the month, we encourage you to look over these resources so if there is ever a time in the future and you or someone else is in a pinch, you may remember some of the resources or how to find them.

Neighborhood Cats has available a number of free digital resources (or purchasable printed copies) of handbooks about TNR and RTF (the latter geared towards shelter personnel). Although some of the TNR books are somewhat dated much of the information is still applicable. If you're a TNRer, colony caretaker or working at a shelter, have a looksie; its free!

I must say though the r/CatRescue, Cat Handbook: Daylight Savings Time Edition is also very informative and its pictorial nature appeals to every kitty cat enthusiast.

In other news about r/CatRescue, we have begun to add a number of user flairs. "Drumsticks" from the Cat Handbook has even lended a leg. For mobile, tap the 3 dots in the upper right corner of the r/CatRescue main page on and select: "edit flair." On desktop, use the sidebar on the right and in the user flair category then, tap the pencil to set your flair.

Also, while you're at it, check out our wiki page: ReHoming/ Adoption Tips and Resources

Photo Credit: Jack and Hobbs, RRCC cats during chow down by Cherveny2


r/CatRescue • • 8h ago

Heart-warmer When the Elderly can no Longer Care fer their Kitty Cats - Shropshire Cat Rescue

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49 Upvotes

What happens to kitties of the elderly when they are no longer able to care fer them or are moved into housin that will not accept pets? If they are lucky, a place like Shropshire Cat Rescue in Shrewsbury (UK) exists nearby fer kitties like Henry whom do not get reHomed; where his owner can come visit. You can read more about their retirement village and see some of current senior kitties -> Here

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Summary of video

  • An elderly man discloses his spouse had passed and it is now only him and his senior tabby Henry left behind
  • The man gets mail indicatin that he has been accepted into a retirement home. And that he and Henry will be separated
  • Henry is moved to Shropshire Cat Rescue
  • He watches as the young kittens are taken away to be adopted/ reHomed and he is not chosen
  • Henry is soon after, moved into one of Shropshire Cat Rescue's retirement villas
  • Henry's former owner visits Henry at the village fer cats

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From Shropshire Cat Rescue:

The Retirement Village is the ‘purrfect’ place for our senior and super senior residents to enjoy their twilight years in comfort, with cuddles and fuss. They are monitored daily by our dedicated volunteer teams and Shelter Manager, weighed weekly to ensure there are no concerning weight losses and are seen as regularly as needed by the vets.

We have opened up our Village to some younger, but just as in need, cats. Some with life limiting conditions that mean they need constant care and medication, others who outside of our Village, wouldn't cope in a home setting and are too reliant on humans to become working cats. 

​Many of our Retirement Village residents are on long term medication and receive short term treatment including dentals as needed.

You can sponsor the Retirement Village for £60 a year.

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The above video has been edited to remove the 1/10 second black screen at the beginnin


r/CatRescue • • 1d ago

Rescue 7 days ago I found 2, 5 week old kittens by the pool near my house

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1.0k Upvotes

Seven days ago, I found these kittens under the shed near the pool by my house and I knew they needed to be saved and soon as temperatures are rapidly dropping near me and thunderstorms have been rapid!! it took me five days of feeding them and gaining their trust to catch them and take them to the vet.. today They are doing amazing and we have been informed that we are pretty sure they are both females and five weeks old. any advice is appreciated and I love them so much,


r/CatRescue • • 13h ago

Advice / Question They just love their food

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57 Upvotes

We have just taken in a new foster kitty, they were found alone on a farm and are very vocal about food😂

This is the first kitten we've had while fostering that is

THIS vocal when eating, i know they sometimes can be when they're kittens, but I just wanted to double check that they sound okay and not in discomfort?🩷


r/CatRescue • • 1d ago

Advice / Question Found Abandoned Kitten -Huntsville, AL

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103 Upvotes

r/CatRescue • • 2h ago

Sensitive Made a Terrible Mistake With Kittens

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1 Upvotes

r/CatRescue • • 21h ago

Rescue Help a cat

21 Upvotes

I found this black cat that is very skinny and thin and can barely even walk, and I can’t help it because I don’t have the funds. Does anyone know who I can call to come rescue this kitty, and I’m not talking about animal shelter because I know what they do with their animals.


r/CatRescue • • 1d ago

Rescue Need a place for cats

20 Upvotes

We were told be somebody that they were going to drop them somewhere, so we took them in at a moments notice

There is a mother,2 boys, and 1 girl juvenile,,,,,

Also 3 babies,, without their eyes open,,,

I really need someone to either take them or recommend a good non kill shelter,, or anything of the sort,, since I don't know of any in Long beach taking any for the time being..

/⁠ᐠ⁠。⁠ꞈ⁠。⁠ᐟ⁠\


r/CatRescue • • 1d ago

Advice / Question (Mecklenburg, NC) Cats stuck in storm drain

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61 Upvotes

r/CatRescue • • 1d ago

Heart-warmer I'm so happy! But also so sad.

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208 Upvotes

8 days ago, this sweet little guy showed up to my house, he had a pretty nasty respiratory infection, so I made up a spot for him in my garage, gave him some food and water along with an old litterbox with the intention of taking him to my local Humane Society the next day so he could get better care.

The Humane Society informed me they were at capacity and asked me to care for him until the had space to take him, which I was more than happy to do.

Over the next 8 days, I'd give him fresh food and water, let him wander around the garage and snuggle up with me while I sat on the floor and gave him tons of love.

What I didn't expect was how emotional the day I had to give him over to the Humane Society would be. I couldn't hold back my tears despite my best efforts while I filled out the paperwork

But I know in my heart he's in the best place for him to get the care I can't provide for him and I know wherever he ends up, he's going to make a special person/people very happy with all the love and cuddles he has.

But there's a very somber part of me that can't help but wish that I was still sitting on the floor of my garage, petting his head while he makes biscuits on my jeans. I'm gonna miss that more than anything.


r/CatRescue • • 1d ago

News Free Cat Food Pantries: Oregon

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123 Upvotes

Hello Oregon!

If you or a family you know could use the extra hand with cat food, this Oregon list of free cat food pantries can help out; if you live in a different state, check out what we have so far on our wiki list. If you have corrections or there is anything we missed please let us know.

We had found 5 of these resources that stated they also can serve feral/ community cats; you can find them at the bottom of the main list. Please be respectful and do not use resources fer homed kitties for feral/ community cats unless you check with the organization first. The primary purpose of these pet pantries is to keep people with their kitties and not have them reHomed or put up fer adoption so please be mindful so someone's kitty doesn't go hungry.

Many of these resources are donations and there is no guarantee they are always available. When you can, please support your local shelter/ rescue; they will accept unopened pet food and most accept gently used pet supplies in addition to monetary contributions.

Although we focused our search on cat food, many of these places also have dog food available (and sometimes kitty litter too). We also have some national cat food databases listed in our wiki and are filling out the other states as we come across them. As we complete each state, we are placing what we finished previously into their own dedicated wiki page (Wyoming is now a clickable link).

We love the kitty cats, as usual show us your kitty cats here or make their own post and share their story and yours with us on r/CatRescue. Have a wonderful day everyone!

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Pantries fer feral/ community cats (See detailed description above)

  • (Benton/ Linn County) Linn Benton Feral Cat State of Emergency Project
  • (Grant County) Hope4Paws
  • (Hammond) River Song Foundation
  • (Jackson County) (Rogue Community Cat Rescue)
  • (Keizer) Friends of Felines

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Kitty cat credits: Agnes from mcs385 on front page and Hungry Cat on 2nd page


r/CatRescue • • 1d ago

Rescue HELP! how old is this baby? just rescued them! first time working with a kitten so i need advice! thank you so much ❤️

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49 Upvotes

the poor baby was crying alone in a hedge right by an intersection!! no injuries, just very very flea ridden. any advice would be so helpful, im a cat rescue owner but mine was rescued as an adult so im not sure the protocol for a bebe. tysmm


r/CatRescue • • 2d ago

Rescue A lady threw her out of the car in front of my house

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485 Upvotes

r/CatRescue • • 1d ago

Rescue Meet Lucy

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67 Upvotes

One of our volunteers, Vicki, found this adorable baby under her next-door neighbor's air conditioning unit. She was pretty out of it due to the heat. We've named her Lucy.

Isn't she a doll?


r/CatRescue • • 1d ago

Heart-warmer My newest rescue

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53 Upvotes

This sweet girl stole my heart and found her forever home the moment we met! Bambi is the kindest cat.


r/CatRescue • • 1d ago

Lost Kitty [Passaic County, NJ]

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46 Upvotes

r/CatRescue • • 2d ago

News How Oregon became such a pet-friendly state

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13 Upvotes

The original news story by Meagan Cuthill (whom has 3 cats!) of OPB can be found -> Here

A history of pet friendly Oregon where an estimated 92% of adults have owned a pet in their lifetime! This video is 15mins long and apologies, it has been edited to reduce its size to fit in reddit.

Stay tuned to r/CatRescue, we will release Oregon state's list of free cat food pantries soon. When money is tight, people that could use an extra hand kicked offa SNAP and the compoundin and increasin costs of the economy, accessin free cat food pantries can mean the difference between keepin your kitty splittin meals or givin them up to reHome or adoption.


r/CatRescue • • 2d ago

Lost Kitty [Gwinnett County, GA]Lost kitty - Roaming Grounds near Lanier High School

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11 Upvotes

r/CatRescue • • 3d ago

Update Update: Last Home Depot kitty found

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166 Upvotes

r/CatRescue • • 3d ago

Update CW: Pet loss, and update on my lost kitty.

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54 Upvotes

She has been found but unfortunately too late, it seems a snake had gotten to her and by the time we found her she was already gone, as sad and unfortunate as it is, I want to thank everybody that gave me advice and lovely words throughout this scare. She was found 6 blocks away under someone's deck.

I'm genuinely devastated and I really dont know what to think anymore, maybe if I had just put in the extra cash and had bought her a collar with a GPS in it, maybe then I could've found her in time. Once again, thanks to all of you that gave suggestions on how to find her, and to those who helped my post gain traction, with out you I probably wouldn't of found her in the first place.

Here are some extra NON-GRAPHIC photos of her.

They are both of her having a snooze fest.


r/CatRescue • • 3d ago

Lost Kitty (Kings county, NY) have you seen my cat?

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81 Upvotes

Bodega is a 6 year old orange/beige/white underside tabby cat. He has a habit of running out the door, and was last seen around 5/6 pm. I’m not sure if he was found & taken, escaped out the building, animal control collection or what. He is not fixed and was exhibiting mating behavior for a month before stopping.

Possibly last seen in the South Williamsburg/ North Williamsburg area. I don’t know how far cats travel, especially a house cat, but Bushwick area as well. Please help ! My baby is apart of my family and my little one is terribly distraught. They were raised together.🥺💔💔


r/CatRescue • • 3d ago

Advice / Question Nellie my wild cats

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40 Upvotes

r/CatRescue • • 3d ago

Advice / Question Homeowner won’t let us TNR 3 kittens and the mom

17 Upvotes

Hi! So first of all I’m in NYC and we found a mama cat (about a year old) with her three kittens (about two or three months?) while I was looking for a different cat with my friend. She has done this before and has some sort of TNR license, we met because she was working to trap a litter of strays behind my house.

Long story short! The family of cats lives in this lady’s backyard under a wooden platform. We don’t know if mama cat is hers, she’s never claimed any ownership over them but it does seem like she feeds them. The neighbor (who is totally fine with us staying on his side) told us she feeds them bread but they stay outside. The day we saw them my friend and I tried to talk to her by ringing the doorbell and leaving our info but my friend did go into her backyard to feed them. That’s when the homeowner confronted her for being in her property (and shes totally right for doing that, we should’ve never crossed her property). My friend tried to explain we could get mama cat spayed for her and find a home for the kittens but she wouldn’t listen.

That happened Friday. On Saturday I had work so I only checked on them and left, staying on her neighbors property. Nothing happened. On Sunday I fed them and then went to work. Monday my friend and I went again cus she wanted to try to trap them, she again crossed to her backyard to get closer to them and the lady came out. She scolded me, she recognizes me cus my hair is dyed red. She thinks I’m the one orchestrating all this and said I even brought someone dressed in all black on Saturday night who went into her backyard (turns out it was my friend). We just left, I wanted to apologize but was afraid it would just escalate everything. She was mad and I know she is right to be, it is her property after all and we started on the wrong foot by going in to check on the kittens.

I went back today during my lunch hour, sat and ate my lunch to get them familiarized so it’s easier to rescue them. But they didn’t come out cus the neighbor had already fed them, so then i decided to go again after work when they were hungry and just do the same thing. This time they came out to the neighbor’s side and ate with me sitting there for a bit until i made the mistake of taking a video of a squirrel that was running around. She talked to me through the cameras and told me to stop taking pictures of her property. I couldn’t make out the rest cus it started cutting out but i left.

I’m scared to keep doing it. Now I know the safest thing to do is stay on her neighbor’s side and don’t even take any pics of the cats or anything else. But what if she just straight up calls the police next time? I can’t get in trouble, there’s too much on the line for me and the cats are not malnourished or visibly neglected. They’re not being taken care of for sure, they’re outside and it’s getting colder, they’re not used to humans and they’ll just keep growing and getting pregnant. What should I do?


r/CatRescue • • 4d ago

Lost Kitty [Cook, Illinois] Lost cat?

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97 Upvotes

X-posted in r/Evanston. Looking to see if this is anyone's cat or if there are any resources to get him rescued. Very sweet boy.