Abandoned kittens and cats leave charity in crisis

Kittens that were found dumped in a garden

Meet Taylor, Swift and Travis - just three weeks old and dumped in a garden.

The kittens are now being cared for by Yorkshire Cat Rescue (YCR), which is experiencing the busiest period in its 30-year history.

The charity's chief executive Lynn Nicholls says her staff are overrun with unwanted felines.

A drop in neutering rates during the pandemic, increasing veterinary fees and the cost of living crisis mean they are being abandoned in greater numbers than ever before.

Lynn, who took over the running of YCR 18 months ago, said: "It's absolutely horrendous. This is the worst it's been for 30 years.

"We've got three times the number of cats that we should have at this time of year and we are really, really struggling.

"The situation is completely out of control. We've run out of fosterers and we're struggling to take cats in because we have nowhere to put them.

"So if you do live locally and you can open your heart, and your home, to foster for us that would be amazing, because it really does help the charity."

Taylor was just three weeks old when she was given up by her owner

The charity was founded by Sara Atkinson in Haworth, near Bradford, back in 1992.

It moved to its current base in nearby Cross Roads four years later.

Even with four fundraising shops, it struggles to cover its £500,000 annual running costs and relies heavily on donations to pay for food, bedding and medical bills.

Lynn and her team care for cats, kittens and those about to give birth to litters.

As well as the abandoned animals, Lynn says she has 300 owners on a waiting list who are wanting to give up their pets for rehoming.

But others are not so responsible.

Lynn said: "Most recently we've had four kittens, they were found in a cardboard box taped up. They're only four weeks old, they're not able to fend for themselves.

"A lady walked past, heard them crying, opened up the box and took them to the vets who brought them to us.

"The very next day she was walking past the same area and there was a second box with another two kittens in them."

The charity has a waiting list of 300 people who want to give up their pet

As quickly as homes or foster carers are found, a new batch of animals arrives.

Lynn is having to lean heavily on volunteers like Sally Goodman.

Sally said: "At the moment we're just helping to socialise the kittens, because Lynn's been doing the feeding.

"What we normally do is feed the cats then clean the pens, sort out donations, sort out the laundry - just anything that keeps the charity running.

"They're all sentient beings. They all deserve a chance at a good life."