An RSPCA cattery in Norfolk has seen a dramatic influx of cats and kittens and fear it could be driven as a result of people giving up their “lockdown pets”.
The RSPCA Norfolk West Branch’s cattery is currently full with 14 cats and eight kittens, and they also have a waiting list of more wanting to come into the charity's care.
Carl Saunders, general manager at the branch’s rehoming centre, said: “We really are inundated with cats and kittens at the moment.
“It is concerning, and we hope this isn’t the start of something bigger.
“At the moment the felines who are coming into our care are as a result of a number of reasons - such as accidental litters, where parent cats hadn’t been neutered, or people no longer able to look after their animals due to a change in circumstances.
“Fortunately, we still have members of the public contacting us to adopt the cats - but it is a case as soon as one goes out for rehoming, there is another one filling their pen.
“We just wanted to highlight this issue and also remind owners the importance of getting their cats neutered so that they avoid having accidental litters.”
The national RSPCA has raised concerns about a huge surge in demand for pets during lockdown as families made the most of spending more time at home.
The charity is worried that while many families will have considered the long-term commitment of taking on a pet, some may not have been thinking post-lockdown about how they’ll care for their new pet when they return to work.
Any prospective pet owners should do lots of research and ensure they can commit to that animal.
An RSPCA spokesman added: "Sadly, we know that as animals are so readily and easily available to buy online, it can be very easy for people to buy a new pet on a whim and that often means that, within a few months, they quickly realise that they cannot cope with them and seek to give them up or sell them on."
The Norfolk West branch is a separately registered charity to the national RSPCA, To find out more about rehoming a cat from the branch please visit their website.
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