Charity warns of cat-astrophe with a population explosion

Animal charities have revealed that more than 850,000 cats in the UK have had unplanned litters, leaving many owners unprepared for the cost and commitment of raising kittens and struggling to find them suitable homes.

The Cat Population Control Group (CPCG) are warning owners not having cats neutered could lead to a population explosion as these unplanned litters could add up to as many as 4.3 million potentially unwanted kittens.

Research from vet charity PDSA has revealed that just 15 percent of cat owners whose animals had kittens had planned for the litters.

To tackle the issue, the CPCG today launched its annual World Spay Day campaign to encourage more owners to get their cats neutered.

Nicola Martin, head of Pet Health and Welfare at PDSA, said: “Our research has shown that unprepared cat owners are putting themselves in an unnecessary and potentially challenging position by not getting their cats neutered.

“The impact of this can be both costly and stressful if a cat becomes pregnant as it can be very difficult to find loving new homes for large numbers of kittens. As a result, we know that sadly many cats end up in rehoming and rescue centres.”

“Many pet owners also believe that neutering should take place when their cat is around six-months-old but our advice is that for maximum health and welfare benefits, it should take place from four months of age.”

For more information please visit www.pdsa.org.uk/worldspayday