Cat owners are being urged to "be responsible" after rescue centres are seeing "chaos".
As we head into kitten season, cat owners are being urged to protect their pets with a simple surgical procedure - neutering. Although cats can breed all year long, they predominantly breed and give birth during the spring and summertime.
In just four weeks, rescue centres have seen incredible demand, from kittens being abandoned on the streets, pregnant cats running away, cats hit by cars, as well as injuries from fighting male cats - many of which could be avoided if pets had been neutered. The ECHO previously reported on the increasing vet bills being faced by rescue centres, with fears for the remaining year.
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The RSPCA is one charity that sees an increase in cats during 'kitten season' as concerns have been raised many families will no longer be able to afford vet appointments, meaning more pets are abandoned. The charity urges cat owners to speak to their vets about neutering as soon as possible and to keep any unneutered cats indoors with plenty to entertain them until they can be spayed.
Just recently, the RSPCA Wirral branch was called to reports of abandoned cats at a Liverpool property. Upon entering, around 40 cats were found in the "poorest of conditions". Another recent case saw an 11-year-old cat left by the rescue's gates in a crate. Another abandoned cat had given birth at the rescue, meaning over 120 cats are at the branch currently.
Caroline Allen, Chief Veterinary Officer at the RSPCA, said: "We have long been highlighting the importance of neutering for cat welfare. Getting your cat neutered protects them from certain diseases, and prevents unexpected and costly litters of kittens being born.
"The RSPCA, along with other cat and vet organisations, encourage people to get their cats neutered from four-months-old before they can become pregnant as a responsible part of pet ownership. If you are waiting for an appointment to get your female cat neutered you must keep them indoors in the meantime.
"For many years, charities have seen a peak in cats coming into their care during kitten season when the RSPCA sees lots of abandoned kittens, sometimes found in cardboard boxes, in bins, or dumped by roadsides as their owners could no longer care for them or weren’t expecting a litter.
"As a charity we are under immense pressure, especially over the summer months and neutering can help tackle this issue. However, we know that many people are facing financial pressures which is why we encourage cat owners to plan ahead, make sure they are registered with a vet, explore whether local charities can offer neutering vouchers in their area, and take out pet insurance to help cover unexpected costs."
The Wirral Animal Samaritans is also fearing for the coming months, as they have already seen such chaos in just four weeks of kitten season. Co-founder Corrie Plumpton urges people to look inside any carrier bags that look like they have been dumped, as many will "throw away unwanted litters".
She told the ECHO they are seeing a rise in injured, dead and pregnant cats as they are already struggling to find the space with rising bet bills. She added: "We see a rise every year but this year is chaos."
Urging people to "think" about vet bills before they get a cat, Corrie said having an unneutered pet could lead to behavioural changes during heat season as they can also "travel for miles to find a mate". She added: "People don't realise a cat can be in season every three weeks or they think if they have a Tom cat they don't need to neuter them because it's not them that has to deal with a litter.
"People need to take more responsibility for their pets. We are seeing a lot of cats fighting, cats with abscesses, injured cats, heavily pregnant cats. There's pressure from all sides. We are having to turn away non-urgent cases, we try to keep one space free for a major need."
Corrie said: "Every day we get several calls from people needing advice. One person didn't know their cat was pregnant until the litter dropped and that could've been avoided. Don't let a heavily pregnant cat outside, they could give birth and leave the kittens.
"People need to be responsible. Our vet bills at the minute is at £5,000, pets are expensive, but they need our help."
More information about the Cats Protection Chip and Snip voucher can be found here for the North Wirral branch, or here for the South Wirral branch. Anyone not living in Wirral can get help by contacting their local Cats Protection branch.
To help give a home to one of the many cats currently in RSPCA care, visit https://www.rspca.org.uk/local/wirral-and-chester-branch/findapet#onSubmitSetHere.
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