May 7, 2014:  Spring is officially here--hallelujah!! I think it may actually be safe to say that we have finally (please, oh please) seen the last of those bitter cold, bone-chilling days. And who doesn't love the springtime? Beautiful flowers pushing up through the earth and the sound of baby birds calling out. Especially here in Bronxville, we can truly appreciate the sunshine and beauty that we are finally experiencing now that Jack Frost has officially left the building.

But springtime for animal shelters is so much more than flowers and showers. For those of us in the animal world, the onset of our beloved spring weather also means the arrival of the much-dreaded kitten season.

Kitten season is the time of year when feral cats begin giving birth to litters and litters of kittens, causing a population explosion of tremendous proportions. Think of it this way . . . one female cat can get pregnant as young as five months old. Since she will only be pregnant for about 63 days and her average litter will have four to six kittens, this one cat may potentially have 18 kittens per season.

That may not sound like much of an explosion, so let's fast-forward seven years. Just this one, now seven-year-old, female cat and all of her offspring have the ability to produce over 400,000 kitties.

Bang--now that's an explosion!

Based on those numbers, it is obviously understandable why our local shelters and rescue groups start to get very nervous right about now and why I, in turn, have chosen these absolutely adorable kittens as this week's Pet of the Week feature.

Lulu, the mama cat, was rescued from Yonkers on March 27 with her newborn litter of kittens, dubbed "the Jellybeans." As of this week, they are officially old enough to leave Lulu and find their forever homes.

If you have been thinking about adopting a kitten (or two), these sweeties are about as yummy as they come. So act fast--this bundle of cuteness and cuddles will surely go quickly. This one litter has four female short-haired tabbies and one male long-haired tabby (located in the top right of the picture.)

Lulu and her Jellybeans are being fostered by Forgotten Felines Rescue. They are in excellent health and are litter box trained, and they are up to date with all of their vaccinations.

The adoption fee for each kitten is $100. This donation includes a free spay or neuter by one of the group's participating vets, the first distemper vaccination, first worming, feline leukemia/feline aids test, and flea preventative medicine. Additionally, each kitten will be microchipped before it joins its new family.

If you are interested in meeting them or their mom, Lulu, please fill out the questionnaire/application located on the Forgotten Felines website, www.forgottenfelinesny.org. Then please email the completed questionnaire to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. For further information, please call 914-428-7969.

And at the risk of sounding like the wonderful Bob Barker, you, too, can do your part to help control the pet population and lessen the burden of kitten season by having your pets spayed and neutered.