3 Aug 2023
The charity says reports of dumped animals rose by 14% in the first half of this year and it is now spending thousands of pounds a week on private boarding because its facilities are full.
Allister Webb
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Image © Okssi / Adobe Stock
The RSPCA has launched an urgent appeal for cat adopters to come forward, warning that cats are coming into its care “faster than we can find homes for them”.
The charity said it is now spending more than £8,000 a week on private boarding for nearly 300 cats because it doesn’t have room for them in its centres and branches.
Meanwhile, new figures have revealed the number of dumped animals reported in the first six months of this year rose by almost 14% compared with 2022.
A total of 9,748 calls were recorded in the six months to the end of June this year, compared with 8,551 over the same period last year.
Michelle Sidney, the charity’s animal logistics manager, said that while the cost of living crisis is at the heart of the problem, other factors are likely to contribute, too.
Ms Sidney said: “It is also kitten season and some people are not neutering their cats so there are a greater number of unwanted litters.
“Some people also don’t microchip their cats so when they are lost we can’t return them to owners – while the fallout from people buying cats during lockdown and no longer being able to care for them continues.
“It is heartbreaking that we are seeing this, and while we are doing everything we can to take in cats from some of these situations and rehome them, it is becoming a serious challenge.
“On top of an increasing cat intake, rehoming has slowed, which has left us in a situation where we have cats coming in faster than we can find homes for them.”
Anyone who feels able to adopt can find animals in need of a home via the RSPCA’s Find a Pet page.
