Kitten season is just about the cutest thing out there (like literally outside), because there are so many adorable kittens running around. But it’s also not-so-cute, because many of the kittens are unable to find forever homes -- which is super sad.

MTV News spoke with Hannah Shaw, Associate Director of Campaigns at Alley Cat Allies, about the fuzzy underbelly of the most squee-worthy time of year.

Preventing Litters

The way to prevent excess litters in the first place is to make sure all the kitties around you are spayed and neutered. “Kittens can be spayed or neutered at two months or two pounds,” Shaw said.

And it’s good to jump on it: Kittens can get pregnant when they’re only four months old! Many communities have low-cost or even free spay/neutering services and she suggests you check out what’s around you. In any event, it’s cheaper to spay one cat now than multiple ones later.

Adoption

Want to get yourself a kitten this season?

“70% of cats in shelters in the United States are killed there,” Shaw said. Kittens might seem super adoptable, but many are immediately put down because shelters don’t have the resources/time/people to bottle feed and care for them. “We definitely recommend people go to shelters first because those animals are at the highest risk. You could also get them from a rescue group or some people find cats on the street.”

What If You Find Kittens And No Mom?

If you see kittens outside, but they look clean and healthy and aren’t in a dangerous situation, Shaw said there’s probably a mom around, even if you don’t see her right that minute.

“We don’t recommend people take kittens away from their mom because Mom is the best care-giver,” she said. “Keep a lookout for a few hours for Mom. If there’s no mom or the kitten’s in a dangerous situation or looks unhealthy or is crying a lot, then it’s appropriate to take the kittens in.”

What If You Find Neonatal Kittens?

If you find kittens under five weeks, they’re not going to be weaned, which means you’d have to bottle feed them if the mom’s not there. There are special kitten formulas available in pet stores – despite what you may have heard, cow’s milk is not good for kittens! Orphaned newborns need to be fed every couple hours, including during the night, and they need to be kept warm. They can’t go to the bathroom on their own yet, so you can gently stimulate them with a warm wet cloth to get them to go (I know, I know, but it’s necessary).

What If You Find Feral Kittens?

“Hissy spitty little kittens?” Shaw said, referring to unsocialized cats you might find outside. (“Community cats” is what Alley Cat Allies likes to call them.) “You’re going to have the highest success rate of socializing them if they’re under three months of age.”

If you find kittens young enough and take care of them, this can get them socialized and turn them into good house pets for you or someone else.

“If you’re trying to socialize kittens, you provide them with pretty frequent hands-on care so they associate humans with positive things. I’ll give them tuna and gently pet them while they’re eating.”

Younger kittens will probably let you pick them up and might be a bit scared of you, but older kittens might scratch or bite. Shaw recommends being cautious and suggests a humane trap can be a good way of catching a feral kitten or cat.

So... How Do You Trap Them Humanely?

The words “trap” and “humane” don’t always seem to go together, so Shaw explained, “These are box traps where you bait it with some stinky food (we usually use tuna and oil). Basically, the cat walks into this little box trap and step on a trip plate that closes the door.”

Some cats might be freaked out by this, but if you cover the trap with something like a blanket, the darkness will actually calm them right down.

What If The Community Cats Are Too Old To Socialize?

Some older kittens and cats are so unsocialized to humans they won’t make good pets. Cats can take care of themselves on their own and live thriving, healthy lives that way, but we need to make sure they’re not breeding. That brings us to Trap-Neuter-Return, or TNR.

“It’s the only effective and humane way to work with community cats and stabilize the population,” Shaw said. The cats are humanely trapped, taken to a vet to be spayed/neutered and given the typical kitty vaccines, and then released where they were found to continue their lives in peace. Vets do a small, painless clip on the cat’s left ear to signal that they’ve been fixed so no one will trap them again.

“Alley Cat Allies is the nation’s leading advocacy for Trap-Neuter-Return,” she said. “It’s a very successful program with proven results.”

What If You Find Kittens But You Can’t Take Care of Them?

You’ll either want to find someone to foster them or find someone to help you do a TNR program, depending on the situation. Shaw recommends you reach out to your community or check out Alley Cat Allies’ Feral Friends Network. (They might even be able to help you with traps for TNR.) Shelters might be an option, but check with the shelter first.

“It’s better to put the kittens through a TNR program than take them to the shelter where they might die if it’s a high kill shelter,” she said.

I Want To Help Cats Beyond This!

There are a number of animal welfare organizations, including ones that might be local to your community. And you can definitely get involved with Alley Cat Allies, because they’re not just around for kitten season. On their website you can do everything from donating to learning how to take care of cats to getting involved in advocacy.

“Kittens need advocates and they need people to step up for them,” Shaw said. And who can resist those cute lil faces?