Butler County Humane Society staff member Taylor Walker plays with Penne the female kitten in the shelter's play area Wednesday. Seb Foltz/Butler Eagle

As the days get longer, temperatures warm up, flowers start to bloom and animal rescues and shelters in Butler County prepare for another annual sign of spring – kitten season.

Beginning in March and April, mother cats who became pregnant during the winter begin having litters of kittens at higher rates than other times of year, keeping animal advocates busy throughout the spring and summer.

“It hasn’t actually gone into full bloom yet, but we’ve had kittens all year,” said Sean LaFever, founder of Sunshine Farm Cat Rescue in Slippery Rock. “Right around this time, in March-April, is when the moms are finally starting to have their babies. We haven’t had a ton of phone calls for newborn kittens yet, but I’m guessing that it’s going to start coming around the next couple of weeks.”

Kitten season tends to correspond with the start of warmer weather, he explained. Cats are able to travel more easily without snow. However, mother cats can have kittens multiple times in a single year, and cats born in the early spring may already be able to become pregnant themselves by the fall.

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