'Terrible year' for cat charity as demand spikes

Bear has been seeking an owner for more than 100 days, the charity said

A branch of a cat charity said it was receiving three or four calls a day from people wanting to give up their pets for adoption.

Tracy, who volunteers at the Telford Cats Protection centre, said: "It's never been this bad or this busy, it's a terrible year."

She said 139 cats had been found new homes so far this year and believed the cost of living was a major factor.

The branch is also asking for cat food donations to help people struggling to feed their animals.

Cats Protection said it was caring for 4,800 cats and kittens at its centres around the country, including 28 at its Telford branch.

They included 18 kittens which it hoped to have homes for in the next fortnight.

Tracy said one of the cats seeking a home, named Bear, had been with them for more than 100 days.

The 11-month-old suffered a severely injured leg after being hit by car and she said that was likely to mean higher insurance payments for whoever took him in.

His owners could not afford to pay for his treatment and the charity said he would have been put down if it had not taken him.

Tracy said he was a "gorgeous boy" and "very affectionate" and that it was "high time that he got his own home".

Volunteer Tracy said the branch had never been so busy

The branch said it had supplied more than 6,000 meals for cats through its Community Kitty appeal which started in 2023.

"It started because we are very aware people are struggling to find food for their families let alone find food to feed their cats," Tracy said.

The charity asked people to drop off cat food at donation points which it then sorts and takes to local food banks.

Tracy said she knew circumstances could change and the charity wanted to make sure people could keep their cats.