During kitten season, it’s not unusual to find kittens in your community — and our first instinct is usually to rescue them. But not all kittens are in need of rescue — in fact, if you take baby kittens away from their mothers, you may be doing more harm than good.

Check out the infographic below from Alley Cat Allies, which outlines what to do if you see or hear kittens. Most important: Wait to see if there’s a mother taking care of them. 

And click here for more info on how to take care of community kittens and cats, and here for help in figuring out how to determine a kitten’s age.