Scottish SPCA

Two thousand cats and counting

The Scottish SPCA is feeling the strain of caring for more than two thousand unwanted and neglected cats so far this year, which is a three-year high for the animal charity.

Almost 1,800 cats have already been given loving homes, but we are still caring for hundreds more. Its ten animal rescue and rehoming centres are so full that temporary accommodation may need to be sourced.

Dora and Diego are the latest kittens to join the ever increasing number of cats we are caring for. They were found tied up inside plastic bags and left to die in separate incidents in Bellshill last week.

Anyone thinking about getting a cat or kitten is being encouraged to consider giving an unwanted or neglected pet a home rather than buying from a private seller or breeder.

Superintendent Sharon Comrie said, "Our centres are absolutely bursting at the seams with cats and kittens right now.

"We only have a handful of spaces left across the country and these are filling up fast. Some of our centres' catteries are already full, while others only have one or two spaces free.

"Worryingly, less people are enquiring about rehoming cats at the moment, which means they are spending weeks and sometimes months in our care with little interest. It's heartbreaking to see them languishing in catteries, particularly the outdoor cats who are desperate to be outside exploring.

"Normally we have a waiting list of people looking to adopt kittens, but we are even struggling to find homes for them, it's very sad.

"Because we don't put any healthy animals to sleep it's getting to the stage where we may have to start looking for temporary accommodation over the winter months when rehoming always tends to slow down.

"Part of the problem is an increasing minority of people treating cats like disposable items that can just be thrown out on to the streets and left to fend for themselves. Often this results in sick and injured cats needing our help.

"Another issue is owners not getting their pets neutered, resulting in pregnant females having kittens that the owner doesn't want to care for or find homes for themselves. We can have ten expectant cats in our care and in a matter of days we're up to 40 or more."

We are also urging cat owners to act responsibly and make sure their pets are neutered and micro-chipped.

Supt Comrie added, "We neuter and micro-chip all our cats before they go to their new homes and we would encourage pet owners to do the same. Neutering prevents unwanted litters and micro-chipping greatly increases the chances of being reunited with an animal if it ever goes missing."

Anyone interested in rehoming a cat or kitten can contact our Animal Helpline on 03000 999 999 or view the cats available on our rehoming pages

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