Originally posted by leslie flenner

I never heard of "downsizing" a litter! why would that ever be necessary? Kittens are easy to find homes for (maybe not where you are?)
There are a couple of reasons for doing this:

1. To ensure that the number of kittens in the shelter remains manageable, whilst giving each kitten the best chance of being homed.

2. To ensure the viability of the kittens - with large litters born to strays there may be problems with the kittens failing to thrive, or the Mom not producing enough milk, due to being malnourished
(I DO feed these cats daily, but it is impossible to monitor when each cat has eaten - although I Free-feed them, so food and fresh water is available 24 hours a day.

Kittens here in Bahrain are NOT easy to find homes for. Many people here prefer Persians or other pedigrees, and although the Dilmun is a breed in it's own right, you see them in every dumpster on the island, so demand for the kittens is not high.

There are also some "cultural" issues with the local population regarding pets, their care, and spaying, so kittens (and puppies) are in constant over-supply here. (Remember Bahrain is a small Island - 50km long, by 20km wide, with a TOTAL population of 700 000!!!