THE RSPCA is facing a cat crisis as the charity cares for more cats than any other pet with more than 1,000 felines currently in its care.
Since lockdown, the charity has taken 324 cats into its care, more than any other pet, and fears that the situation is set to get worse, as the traditional kitten season gets underway.
There is always an influx of youngsters at this time of year but lockdown means that it is harder for owners to neuter their pets and the charity’s experts fear they will see even more unwanted litters coming through its doors.
Since the start of lockdown, there have been 6,630 incidents reported to the charity’s hotline about cats with 62 incidents reported in Worcestershire.
Animal rescuers at the charity have been designated key workers by the Government and the charity has launched an emergency appeal for vital funding which is needed to help the RSPCA’s frontline staff continue this crucial work across England and Wales.
In 2019 there were 108,190 incidents reported about cats with 1,081 reported in Worcestershire.
Dr Samantha Gaines, head of the RSPCA’s companion animal department, said: “We believe neutering cats from four months old will help tackle the cat overpopulation problem the UK faces.
“This will reduce the amount of unwanted and unexpected litters of kittens that are born and sadly end up in rescue centres.
“We understand that many owners may not be able to get their pets neutered at the moment as understandably vets are prioritising emergencies in the face of Covid-19 and restricting other procedures.
“We would urge anyone with an unneutered female cat to keep them indoors. If you have a male/female pair or really can’t keep your cat inside, do call your vet to discuss options.”
