A few fun facts about kitten season

A few fun facts about Kitten Season

I am constantly reading, have radio news shows playing for hours on end and have downloaded so many podcasts I could drive across the country without repeating a show.

Yet, I learned something this week that I had never even considered. And it had nothing to do with a disease or injustice or even the never-ending, incessant, mind-numbing wind.

Instead, I learned there is an actual “Kitten Season.”

Now before anyone rushes out to get their hunting permit or calls the taxidermist, that is not what Kitten Season is about.

Rather, it is when there is a spike in the number of kittens being born. The phenomenon has to do with the warming of the weather, female cats in heat and male cats with room to roam and too much time on their hands...or paws.

June is actually Adopt-A-Cat Month, specifically because there were so many kittens born in the spring which have ended up at animal shelters and are now ready to be adopted.

Last fall, my family adopted a full-sized cat from the McCook Humane Society. Along with wanting something to snuggle, we needed a “mouser,” which could deal with the occasional mouse which scampered across the floor.

And I would like to announce that the cat is still alive and thriving…just not at my house.

When we adopted the cat, we didn’t take into account that our dog was a “catter.” In other words, he wanted to chase the cat for fun as dogs are sometimes wanton to do. The cat found refuge on my son’s loft bed, out of sight and accessibility of the dog.

Now, I’m not 100 percent positive because my son likes to snack, but I’m pretty sure there aren’t too many mice living on my son’s bed.

So while I liked the cat, he had to find a new home where he served a purpose, even just rubbing up against your leg. Fortunately, my brother was cat-less and was willing to take the cat in. Last time I visited, the cat had doubled in weight, strutted around the house like it owned the place and liked sitting staring out the living room window, taunting my dog in the vehicle.

When I came across the story about “kitten season,” there were some interesting kitten facts:

Felines are considered kittens until their first birthday.

All kittens are born with blue eyes which turn their permanent color at four weeks. And perhaps most disturbing, a kitten can become pregnant at four months.

This makes fact No. 4 even more important, kittens can be spayed or neutered when they weigh just two pounds or about 8 weeks of age.

We’ve recently come into ownership of three kittens, which I am hoping turn into mousers. They are being conditioned to like the dog. In fact, the kittens like to snuggle with the dog so much that we “lose” them in his fur.

The kittens have their appointment scheduled for shots and wellness checks and I’ll be checking on “the procedure” while I’m there. W

hile kittens are cute with their fluffy tummies and big blue eyes, eventually they turn into cats, which can become pregnant or start to roam. And I don’t need to spend my time worrying about cats…I’ve got kids to keep me up at night.

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I would remiss if I didn’t remind everyone that McCook is home to its own Humane Society. If you are looking for a cat or a dog, consider a visit to the McCook Humane Society. Even if you aren’t able to adopt, consider a donation, whether financial or actual supplies.