In 2025, Dallas Animal Services (DAS) cared for more than 2,000 kittens, many of which were too young to safely stay in the city’s animal shelter. This, and the start of kitten season, is why DAS officials hosted what they called a Community Kitten Shower on Sunday March 22.

Sunday was the first of what will be an annual event, a DAS representative said.

Kitten season begins every spring, bringing a surge of feline newborns requiring specialized care, officials said in a press release.

The event Sunday was meant to educate residents on how they can support young kittens entering the shelter system this spring.

“We’re trying to promote and get new fosters to join our program,” the DAS representative said. “Kittens do not do well in a shelter environment.”

DAS relies on foster caregivers to provide temporary homes where kittens can grow until they are old enough for adoption, officials said.

The city agency is also urging residents to assess outdoor kittens before intervening as most are not abandoned and have mothers that leave their litter briefly to find food.

“Unless kittens appear sick, injured, in immediate danger, or have been unattended for several hours, their best chance of survival is to remain with their mother,” a DAS press release said. “Residents who discover a mother cat and her kittens may also foster the family with support from DAS.”

Residents can find more information on fostering and helping during kitten season by emailing DASFoster@dallas.gov.