Kitten season is anything but cute for animal shelters

KANAB, Utah – What may sound cute to the general public causes a shudder every year among animal shelter staff across the country.

"Kitten Season," as it's known in the animal welfare field, starts each spring and lasts through fall. Like the term implies, it's the time of year when unspayed female cats have most of their litters and animal shelters are inundated by orphaned kittens who need intensive care.

"Cats can become pregnant at just four months old and the duration of feline pregnancy is approximately two months, so unspayed community cats can have many litters in one season," Dr. Erin...