Shelter swamped with rescued kittens and cats

An animal rescue charity is reporting an explosion in the number of kittens and cats needing rehoming, with staff recently finding 30 at just one Hull home.

Sue Sewell, of Hull Animal Welfare Trust (HAWT), based in South Cave, said: "It's the worst I've ever known it. We're inundated."

She urged owners to ensure their pets were neutered, and said the charity had recently bought a pet ambulance, enabling teams to visit hotspots to carry out the procedures at minimum cost.

The shelter is currently providing refuge to 24 kittens and 10 adult cats.

Sewell said the shelter had rehomed a number of kittens last weekend, but the problem was showing no sign of easing.

"There are colonies everywhere," she said.

"We are also increasingly being called out to homes where there are multiple cats – 15 to 30 kittens and cats in single properties, with inbreeding."

In the property where 30 kittens and cats were recently found, 15 were immediately taken into the care of HAWT, said Sewell, with the remainder due to be handed over when space becomes available.

"People are always so generous," she added. "But, of course, with so many mouths to feed we are in need of food."

Research by Cats Protection suggests the proportion of cats undergoing the procedure fell from 88% in 2020 to 82% last year.

It found 1.5 million cats in the UK had not been neutered last year, with the most common reasons including owners wanting them to have kittens or because they were kept indoors.

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