It’s cold as ever outside, and though the days are growing longer, some of us are still doing everything we can to prevent the winter blues from settling in too deeply. Sound familiar? Perhaps you’re considering taking up a new hobby or just going to bed earlier to curb your boredom.

Or, maybe you’ve decided it’s time to finally take the pet plunge and invite immense amounts of joy into your life by adopting a cat. (We LOVE this idea!) The good news: We’re excited for your visit and our adoption process makes finding your perfect match easy! The not-so-good news: If you’re set on an adorable kitten, you may find the search a little bit more difficult than you anticipated.

Animal shelters that experience warm summers and cold winters often speak of kitten season. Kitten season usually starts in April and can last as late as October. But then winter arrives, and the cats that once filled the shelters seemingly disappear. In fact, the number of cats that come to AHS between November and March is sometimes less than half of the number we care for between April and October.

Why are there so few adoptable kittens during the winter months?

Cats are seasonally polyestrous, meaning they have multiple estrous cycles during the breeding season ― and that breeding season is dependent on temperature and the number of daylight hours. Estrous cycle is the scientific term for when an animal is sexually receptive, or “in heat.” Cats in colder climates will cycle from spring through the fall, while cats in warmer climates will cycle all year. And though it’s possible for a female cat to cycle in the winter, it’s not very common.

That explains why there aren’t a lot of adoptable kittens in winter. What about adult cats?

AHS sees fewer stray cats in the winter because when it’s cold they tend to hunker down in sheltered areas to stay warm, only coming out for food (don’t worry — cats are equipped with survival skills that help them stay warm despite frigid temps). Also, people spend less time outdoors, so they have fewer opportunities to interact with strays, resulting in fewer cats being brought to AHS.

The demand for cats doesn’t decrease from late fall to early spring, so the cats that are available for adoption tend to get adopted faster.

Though AHS sees less strays coming into our shelters during the winter months, we don’t transport cats from warmer climates because our priority is providing resources and care to local cats in need. Plus, there’s generally enough cats available for adoption in northern states to keep up with demand.

Minnesota has a lot of stray cats, similar to many other communities across the country, so we’re focused on reducing our local stray and feral feline population through programs like Community Cats.

Whether you’re looking to adopt a cat or simply in need of a little respite from your same old winter routine, our three shelter locations are open to the public and no visitation appointment is required. Sometimes a few gentle head butts and purrs from a loving kitty is all you need to get those happy chemicals flowing again!