What To Do If You Find a Stray Kitten in Lubbock

If you are new to Lubbock, Texas, or straight up blind, you may not know that the city has an adorably fluffy plague that wreaks havoc in neighborhoods and streets throughout the Hub City. I'm talkin' about the slew of stray cats we have roaming the alleys and backyards of our great city.

When it comes to handling and interacting with these cute and cuddly balls of hatred, Lubbock Animal Services has some things to say.

Fur Real, These Lubbock Cats Are Crazy

First, if you see a stray kitten in Lubbock, there's a good chance that the mother is out looking for food. You should give it a good couple of hours before attempting to "save" a lost kitten; the mother may be returning soon.

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If the mom does return and seems friendly, you can provide a cozy area for them indoors but separate from your other pets. This next part's sad, but you can have the mother adopted once she gets spayed and her kitten becomes independent. Another option is to release the mother outside without the baby.

For the kitten, at about 10 weeks of age, you can have them fixed and placed up for adoption. It's recommended that you frequently handle the kitten after about five weeks of age in order to improve its socialization skills.

What happens if the mother is feral? Good question, before you grab your shotgun, leave the kittens alone. The mother will teach them survival skills and if she knows your home is a reliable food source, she will bring her litter to your house more often.

Get this, if the kitten seems abandoned and the mother hasn't returned after many hours, it's a good chance that the mother is either dead or she abandoned her kittens.

In this scenario, you're all good to go to snatch those babies. Just make sure you have a warm box with towels or blankets to keep them warm and away from the elements. Just like your teenage daughter getting ready in the morning, they require a 90-degree environment for proper growth.

After you get them set up, you can decide if you want to keep them long-term or give them up for adoption right away.

Stray Cat Fees Around Lubbock Neigh-purr-hoods

Oh yeah, and if you were curious, here are the fees you must pay when it comes to cat ownership in Lubbock. Life ain't free, ya know.

• Adoption fee - $30
• Microchip fee - $5
• Reclaim fee - $105
• Owner surrender fee - $50
• Euthanasia fee - $25 inside city limits, $80 outside the city