Main navigation Donate Menu Halloween kittens among influx of homeless litters A litter of kittens given Halloween-themed names are among an influx of homeless young moggies in Blue Cross care. Our Bromsgrove centre near Birmingham has cared for 25 kittens in the past three weeks, which is unusual at this time of year as more litters tend to be born in the spring and summer when the weather is warmer. Blue Cross fears that this year's prolonged 'kitten season' is a knock-on effect of lockdowns when vets stopped routine treatment such as neutering. Halloween kittens Boo, Casper, Spook, Mertle and Spirit hope to be in a new home soon Caroline Oram, Animal Welfare Assistant, says: “Our Halloween kitties came from an unplanned litter and a litter of strays and we have also admitted several stray pregnant mums who gave birth on site. "We haven’t seen these kinds of numbers of kittens admitted in autumn before. We wonder if it is because many owners weren’t able to neuter their pets during the pandemic or perhaps took on a kitten in lockdown and weren’t aware that very young cats, still kittens themselves, can become pregnant.” The Halloween litter, now 11-weeks-old, have been named Boo, Casper, Spirit, Spook and Mertle, and they are set to enjoy the upcoming spooky celebrations in loving new homes. Little Spook is among an unseasonal influx of kittens Another litter of four are also being cared for at Bromsgrove after being found as strays without their mum, a further four kitten siblings rejected by their mum are in foster care being hand-reared and seven-month-old Mochi, who was barely out of kittenhood herself, gave birth to a litter of seven at the centre. Caroline continues: “In the days up to Halloween we hope to find all the spookily named and other kittens and their mums a new home. We hope owners make sure their pets are neutered as soon as they are old enough and vets can make appointments for the procedure. Remember, very young cats can become pregnant and siblings may mate if not neutered.” Meanwhile, Blue Cross continues to see increasing numbers of older cats waiting longer than normal to find a happy home, such as poor Billy, who has been at our Southampton rehoming centre in Hampshire for a heartbreaking seven months. Visit our rehoming page to see the many cats in our care in need of loving families. Neutering your cat Tiny kitten survives three mile trip under car bonnet — Page last updated 21/10/2021 Sign up to our mailing list The best way to stay up to date with what's going on at Blue Cross is to join our mailing list. Sign up to our mailing list Footer navigation Social links Facebook Instagram Twitter YouTube About Blue Cross Education Work at Blue Cross Our impact framework Modern slavery statement Contact us General enquiries Find an animal hospital Find a rehoming centre Find a charity shop Media centre News Press Publications Policies Cookie policy Privacy policy Supporter charter Terms and conditions Fundraising Standards Board Blue Cross is a registered charity in England and Wales (224392) and in Scotland (SC040154). A company limited by guarantee. Registered company in England and Wales under company number 00363197. Registered address Shilton Road, Burford, Oxfordshire, OX18 4PF. We care about your privacy Our website places cookies on your browser to enhance site navigation, analyse site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Click "Accept" below to consent to the use of this technology and the processing of your data for the purposes explained above.Read the Blue Cross cookie policy More options Accept