Making sure a kitten found outdoors actually is in need of help is a critical step before taking the animal to a shelter.

Kitten rescuer and humane educator Hannah Shaw, known as the Kitten Lady, provided that and myriad other pieces of advice when she visited Naples on July 25 to teach residents how to care for vulnerable kittens.

Patty Baker Humane Society Naples and Collier County Domestic Animal Services hosted two workshops at North Collier Regional Park to focus on neonatal kitten care and Trap-Neuter-Return programs for community cats.

"If a kitten is under five weeks old, they may still be dependent on mom," Shaw said. "What we want to avoid is scooping up kittens that do have a mom and bringing them to the local shelter."

She said kittens younger than 8 weeks require intensive care, making foster homes essential to improving their chances of survival.

"Those kittens represent the majority of euthanasia in animal shelters nationally because they have really specific needs," Shaw said. "That's why we're training people to bottle-feed kittens, become foster caregivers and sterilize community cats so fewer kittens enter shelters in the first place."

Patty Baker Humane Society Naples CEO Becca Morris said the workshops were designed to give community members the knowledge needed to help save more kittens during the busiest time of year.

"Southwest Florida kitten season really doesn't end, but we're in the height of kitten season," Morris said. "We are seeing hundreds of kittens coming into our shelters every day that need additional support before they can be made available for adoption."

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