Illawarra residents are being urged to ensure their cats are desexed and kept indoors at night amid an influx of felines as kitten season begins.
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Every summer, RSPCA NSW shelters are inundated with thousands of unwanted cats and kittens from the start of November.
'Kitten season' sees the feline intake at RSPCA shelters increase by 400 per cent and has prompted the RSPCA to put out an urgent call for cat owners to do the right thing amid startling figures that show one pair of undesexed cats can result in the births of a staggering 20,000 kittens in just two years.
RSPCA shelters across NSW currently have an estimated 18,000 kittens in need of care.
The RSPCA Illawarra shelter at Unanderra is the third largest RSPCA shelter in the state, with the capacity to care for up to 100 cats and 80 dogs.
Shelter manager Janelle Kalkan said the shelter was inundated with felines this time of year.
"We do get a lot of pregnant kittens, pregnant cats and pregnant cats with kittens this time of year," she said.
Ms Kalkan said a female cat can fall pregnant from four months of age, and have up to three litters in the first year alone.
"We sometimes get three waves of kittens, in November, January and another later in May," she said.
She said cat owners could prevent unwanted litters by ensuring both male and female cats were desexed as soon as possible, and kept indoors, especially at night.
"A cat can have up to eight kittens each time and a male can mate with multiple cats in one night," she said.
The majority of cats with kittens that arrive at the shelter are cared for off-site thanks to its foster carer program.
"We have people who look after our cats and kittens for a short time in their home," she said.
"We give them everything they need to take care of them, including food and kitty litter. They bring them back in for all their check-ups and treatments, vaccinations and worm treatments."
Ms Kalkan said they had the capacity to care for about 200 cats and kittens through its foster care program.
She said foster carers came from all walks of life, including empty-nesters, families with children and young couples.
"We are always in need of foster carers," Ms Kalkan said.
"It's really good for families who are considering taking on an animal long-term and want to see what's involved.
"We also have young couples who are thinking about having animals and also people with older children who want to have the companionship of having an animal but also want to be able to travel.
"Foster care is good for people who do not feel they want the same level of responsibility for a pet that they have if it is their own but still want to provide the same level of care for a pet."
A mother cat will stay with her kittens at the foster carer's home until she has weaned them, at around six to eight weeks, before she is returned to the shelter.
Kittens will stay with the carer until they reach 1.2 kilograms.
Once back at the shelter, cats and kittens are desexed and put up for adoption.
She encouraged people looking for a cat or kitten to adopt from an RSPCA shelter.
"For $250 for a kitten and $200 for an older car, they will be desexed, they will have had all their shots and vaccinations, their intestinal worming and their flea treatment before you take them home," she said.
The shelter is open Tuesday-Sunday, 10am-3.30pm, and is closed Mondays and public holidays.
Animals for adoption can be found here.
Keep cats inside
Cats that roam are much more likely to meet with an accident. RSPCA figures show two out of three cat owners have lost a cat to a roaming accident, while one in three were the result of car strikes.
If you spot stray kittens
If you spot kittens you think might be stray, try to observe them for at least a couple of hours to see if the mother cat returns.
If the kittens look healthy, report their location to your local council and RSPCA NSW.
Become a foster carer
RSPCA NSW's foster care program provides temporary homes to animals who are too small or too young to be adopted, are recovering from illness or surgery, are undergoing rehabilitation or just find living in a shelter too stressful.
Animals placed in foster homes receive the care and support they need until they are ready to be adopted into forever homes.
Kitten foster carers receive all the food, medication and kitty litter they need. Kittens are returned to shelters for desexing and vaccinations before they're adopted.
Details here.
Donate to RSPCA
Christmas is one of the busiest times of the year at RSPCA shelters, with thousands of unwanted and neglected animals coming through its doors.
You can help by making a donation or becoming a guardian angel.
Guardian Angels provide safety and care to the 27,114 animals that will spend the festive season in shelters across Australia this year.
Details here
Donations to RSPCA NSW will help care for the influx of cats and kittens that are expected during kitten season.
Details: here
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Merryn Porter
Journalist with more than 25 years' experience in print and digital media who has covered most news rounds, including health, education, politics (local, state and federal), police and courts, with a special interest in women's and family matters. Highly-skilled interviewer and storyteller.
Journalist with more than 25 years' experience in print and digital media who has covered most news rounds, including health, education, politics (local, state and federal), police and courts, with a special interest in women's and family matters. Highly-skilled interviewer and storyteller.
