More than 100 cats waiting for place with Southampton rescue charity

The charity said 41% more owners than last year could no longer afford their cat

More than 100 cats are waiting for a place in a foster home, a rescue charity has said.

Southampton Cats Protection has 105 cats on its waiting list - double the number compared to August 2022.

It blamed the "desperate" situation on the cost of living crisis and landlords refusing pets in rented accommodation.

The branch has put out an appeal to find more fosterers and is offering a supported cat ownership scheme to help struggling owners.

Carolyne Kemp runs the charity's Southampton branch, which takes in cats from the New Forest and Southampton area

Cats Protection's Southampton branch has no physical shelter. Unwanted and abandoned cats are placed in foster care while they wait for permanent new homes.

There are 10 volunteer fosterers in the area, currently looking after approximately 100 felines for the charity.

But the branch's co-ordinator Carolyne Kemp said they had another 100 cats waiting and urgently needed more volunteers.

"We have a situation that is becoming increasingly desperate," she said.

"The waiting list has more than doubled and it's absolutely awful for us having to turn away these cats."

Lucie is one of the cats that was fostered by a Cats Protection volunteer

The charity said financial constraints continued to be a key reason for cats going into rescue shelters, with 41% more owners than last year admitting they could no longer afford them.

Ms Kemp said other reasons for the long waiting list included an increase in elderly owners being moved into care homes and landlords refusing applicants for rented properties because they had pets.

"Landlords need educating on cats, it's not good at all," she said.

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The charity offers a scheme that provides financial help and welfare advice to owners to encourage them not to surrender their felines to the charity.

Ms Kemp said: "If someone phones up and says they want to give up their cat because they can't afford to get it neutered, we will pay for it."

The branch is appealing for more volunteer fosterers in the area.

What do I need to be a fosterer?

• to be able to give enough time - fosterers usually spend an hour and a half each day in the role

• to either own your home or have written permission from the landlord to foster cats

• to be 18 years or older

• to have a good-sized spare room in your house just for your foster cat

• to have access to a car to take the cat to any appointments

Source: Cats Protection

Sadie Dalton, the charity's operations manager for the south, said a number of reasons were to blame for the rising waiting list numbers across the region.

She said: "Part of this can be attributed to cats staying for longer on the lists while we work with owners to try and overcome any barriers to them keeping their cats."

The charity helps an estimated 157,000 cats and kittens a year through its national network of 210 volunteer-run branches and 34 centres