For most of the United States, kitten season has arrived. If it hasn't arrived where you live yet, be patient, it's coming. Want to help? Here are some easy ways to get involved and save some animal lives this kitten season.

Be an advocate. The first and most obvious answer to helping prevent or at least slow down kitten season is to sterilize your cats. Go even further and be an advocate by encouraging others to spay/neuter too. Find resources in your area and help people through the process of getting their animals sterilized. If you need a list of spay/neuter resources in your area, please email cats@idausa.org, and we'll help.

Volunteer. Find a local rescue group, roll up your sleeves, and pitch in. Taking just one shift a week to help with cleaning and/or socializing cats and kittens will go a very long way toward helping cats and kittens in your community.

Foster. If you have the space, volunteer as a foster parent. Fostering cats and kittens saves many lives. Fostering frees up precious space for more animals at local shelters and it provides a safe, quiet space for cats and kittens who may not be quite ready for the busyness of a shelter. When you foster, you can save the life of the animals you are fostering and the lives of the animals who takes their spots in the shelter. For many rescues, foster parents are the lifeline that helps them not just survive kitten season, but thrive through it.

Donate. Local cat rescues and rescuers often find their financial resources stretched thin during kitten season. Find a local rescue group in your area and donate supplies or money to help their efforts. In Defense of Animals also has a fund that distributes micro-grants for local rescues to help with spay/neuter and other costs. You can donate here.

So please, advocate, volunteer, foster, or donate this kitten season. Do whichever works best for you, but get involved and help out to ensure kitten season in your area goes as smoothly as possible this year.

If you have questions about kitten season, or need assistance finding resources, please reach out to us at cats@idausa.org, and we’ll be happy to assist.