Battersea inundated with unwanted kittens

BATTERSEA Dogs & Cats Home is experiencing an influx of unwanted kittens needing its help. 252 kittens have already come into the charity’s three centres this year, with almost 100 arrivals in the last month alone.

The charity is urging pet owners to get their cat neutered to avoid further unwanted litters of kittens. An unneutered cat can produce up to three litters a year, each litter can include four to six kittens, which means one unneutered female cat can produce over 400,000 cats in her lifetime.

Rob Young, Head of Catteries at Battersea, says: “At Battersea we always advise cat owners to get their cats neutered. As much as the idea of kittens are cute, people can underestimate just how much responsibility is needed to look after them.

“Especially with the recent warmer weather and days becoming longer when cats are more likely to mate, Battersea is seeing an influx of kittens ranging from a few days old to a few weeks old, some with their mother, some with littermates and some lone rangers.”

Five-week-old kittens, Morty, Summer and Beth were brought in to Battersea last month with their mother Daisy, who was only young herself, at one years old.

All three kittens were riddled with fleas, had very sore red eyes and dirty ears so the vets gave them all a check over when they arrived, and they went out to foster homes so that they could get the care they needed in a home environment. Meanwhile, Daisy was showing signs of extreme stress, so expert feline behaviour and welfare staff decided it was best for her to recuperate in a pen of her own in the Battersea Cattery.

Summer, Morty and Beth – now over nine weeks old – have been neutered and have loving new homes. Their young mum also has a home lined up for her.

Battersea has many more cats, young and older, who are still looking for a home of their own. For more information please visit www.battersea.org.uk.

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