The cat crisis threatening to overwhelm Birmingham's rescuers

From boxes of kittens abandoned by the roadside to colonies of feral cats breeding in alleyways and back gardens, rescue teams across Birmingham say they are facing an unprecedented crisis.

At centres across the city and beyond, volunteers describe full shelters, overflowing waiting lists and the heartbreak of turning away animals they simply do not have space for.

"At the moment, we're absolutely full," said Vicki Rhind, who runs Happy Paws Cat Rescue in Tyseley.

"Every rescue that we know is at bursting point, everyone is struggling."

Rescuers believe a growing population of unneutered cats is helping to drive the problem.

Without neutering, cats can breed rapidly, and volunteers say they are increasingly being called to areas where feral colonies have become established.

Alum Rock, Small Heath and the area around Edgbaston Reservoir are among the worst affected, according to Happy Paws volunteers.

For those working in animal rescue, the scale of the issue is becoming difficult to ignore.

The RSPCA says it has seen a 67% increase in multi-cat rescues over the past year.

Its Birmingham rescue centre recorded 337 cats and kittens from multi-cat rescues during its latest count in June, the highest figure in the charity's network.

The next highest centre, in Leybourne, Kent, recorded 61.

Vicki, who uses much of her own money to fund rescue work, believes more needs to be done to make neutering affordable and accessible.

"It's definitely been the worst year for cats," she said.

"There have been so many more pregnant mothers, so many more injured kittens, sick kittens. We've been seeing high levels that we haven't seen before."

The pressure is not confined to Birmingham itself.

In Halesowen, Sophie Pepper runs Pepper's Pet Rescue and says many of the animals arriving at her charity have been saved from across the city.

She estimates the rescue is forced to turn away up to 50 animals every day.

"It's getting to a point where no rescue centres can cope," she said.

"We're having to say no to up to 50 animals a day that are on the street, breeding on the streets, and there is just nothing anyone can do because we're all full."

Among the animals currently in her care is a four-month-old kitten she says had suffered neglect.

"We have one in at the moment that was being abused," she said.

"He was full of flu, being left outside, not chipped, not neutered. He is so petrified of people, it's awful."

Sophie would like to see more support for smaller rescue organisations, along with stronger enforcement around pet ownership and animal welfare.

"There needs to be more emphasis on animal welfare from the government, and the powers that be, because it is being a crisis, and it's kind of being ignored."

Even when cats are rescued, another challenge awaits: finding somewhere for them to go.

Ellie Hawkins volunteers at Left Paw Cat Rescue in Kings Heath, helping to match animals with foster carers.

The charity has about 35 volunteers opening their homes to cats, but demand continues to outstrip supply.

"A lot of these are having to have four or five cats, that's just to help out with the demand," she said.

Left Paw is also operating at full capacity and turns away around 30 calls, emails and messages every day.

"The rescue has had a very, very busy year. We have had over 117 intakes. It has been full since July."

For some volunteers, the experience has prompted calls for wider change.

Bradley Shaw, from Chelmsley Wood, has launched a petition after what he describes as seeing the problem "first hand" while volunteering with rescue groups.

"The rescue crisis isn't just about the number of cats already needing homes," he said.

"We also need to look at why so many unwanted cats and kittens are entering the system in the first place."

He is calling for a national strategy to tackle cat overpopulation and hopes the issue will eventually be debated in Parliament.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said it was "working with animal welfare organisations and local authorities to support responsible ownership and better protect the welfare of animals".

It said organisations including Cats Protection and the RSPCA already supported owners through community neutering programmes and subsidised services.

The department added that the government had committed to improving its understanding of cat breeding practices and encouraging responsible pet ownership.

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