Brazos Animal Shelter

Leave them alone.
You may be tempted to pick up a baby kitten, bird or other young animal that appears to be on its own but this is not a good idea. “Rescuing” baby animals thought to be abandoned can cause more harm than good.

If they are clean, look well fed and are either sleeping then
it is likely that the mother is hiding or hunting somewhere
nearby and it is best to leave them alone. “If you see a baby bird, rabbit, fawn or any young animal on its own, don’t assume it’s orphaned and in need of your help,” says Randy Babb, information and education program manager for the department’s Mesa region. “Usually, the parents are not far away. They may be out gathering food, taking a short break from their young, or you may have scared them away. If you remove the baby, then its odds for survival diminish.”However, if they appear cold, dirty and lethargic then it is more likely that they have been abandoned or the mother may be too sick to care for them or has died."

How do you know that they are really abandoned?