You’ve found a stray kitten — now what do you do? Don’t panic! We’ve got your kitten survival guide right here.

When we find a stray kitten, we usually end up keeping him/her. That’s how it went with Loki and Izumi. However, our household has reached its cat limit, and any kittens that show up get fostered. We recently had a house guest in the form of this little grey kitten nicknamed Lil’ Stinger.

What To Do When You Find A Stray Kitten

The girls who found her had no idea what to do, but luckily for them, I was there to offer help! As a cat mom who is also a cat blogger, I was already knowledgeable about what to do. This is not true of everyone who finds a stray kitten, though.

#1 – Look Around For Mama Cat

Sometimes, stray kittens aren’t really strays. Or, rather, they’re not in need of assistance. Mama cat is usually hanging around somewhere nearby. Check around for her. If the kitten is in a safe place and appears to be healthy, wait a little bit to see if mama cat comes around.

Lil’ Stinger didn’t have mama cat around. She was found in the merchandise stand of the local baseball team, so these girls were right not to leave her. Had she been left to fend for herself, she never would have survived.

#2 – Ask Your Vet For Advice

If you can afford to take the stray kitten in for a checkup, do so. The peace of mind is well worth it. Lil’ Stinger was found with an eye wound that seemed to be self-inflicted. She was so stressed that she scratched her eye, and she ended up getting an eye infection. Thankfully, her rescuers knew to take her to the vet!

If you can’t afford the checkup and follow-up care, ask your vet for advice. Most animal shelters aren’t equipped to give the round-the-clock care that some kittens need. This means that those kittens who need extra care will instead be euthanized. That’s why foster care for kittens is so important!

#3 – Give The Stray Kitten Shelter, Food & Water

After you’ve determined that the kitten is healthy and doesn’t have a medical emergency, it’s time to care for them. Neonatal kittens (kittens who are not yet weaned/4 weeks old or younger) require round-the-clock care. For a complete list of supplies you’ll need to care for neonatal kittens, Kitten Lady has you covered.

But what if you can’t care for the kitten yourself? If you can find someone else to take the kitten in, great! If you can’t, contact the No-Kill Network for a list of no-kill shelters in your area. You can also contact Alley Cat Allies to see if they know of anyone willing to help with the stray kitten’s care.

Check out our post on getting started with essential cat care supplies.”

What To Do If No One Can Help

Honestly, if it were me, I would go door to door before surrendering a neonatal kitten to a shelter that couldn’t care for him/her. If you know that kitten is going to be killed, you should do everything in your power to save them.

If you can’t, the sad choice of whether or not to bring them to a shelter is upon you. Ultimately, it’s your decision, but I hope that those furry little faces will inspire you to foster, no matter what it takes!

Have you ever fostered a stray kitten before? What would you do if you found a stray kitten? Share your thoughts in the comments section below. We love to chat!