Laura Sandys met with local animal welfare organisations including the Isle of Thanet RSPCA branch, TAG Pet Rescue, Cats in Crisis and the Thanet Cat Club to discuss their concerns about the rising number of unneutered cats in the area.
Laura said: “Our local animal welfare groups undertake the most superb work in helping to rehome stray/ unwanted cats but are concerned about the increasing numbers of kittens they are seeing being abandoned, and came to me to discuss the growing problem. They told me that this is becoming a serious issue in some areas with an astonishing number of cats being found neglected and left to breed further in certain properties they have visited.
“According to Cats Protection, one unneutered female feline and her descendants can produce 20,000 cats in just five years. A large unneutered cat population poses some real health problems but we also have to think about homes for all these animals- there are thousands already waiting for new homes in rescue centres up and down the country.
“With these local charities seeing larger numbers of abandoned cats, it is clear that we have to do something to stop this trend. I had a very useful meeting with the groups and we will be working together over the coming months to promote the uptake of cat neutering around Thanet. I will also be raising the groups’ concerns in Parliament with the minister responsible for pets. We very much hope that this doesn’t become more of a problem around Christmas with unneutered animals given as presents.”
The RSPCA mobile neutering clinic covering Kent offers cat neutering for just £25 with a free microchip. For more information, call: 01843 826180.