Rescue centre says cats will die due to lack of space

A cat rescuer has said she fears cats and kittens could be left to die on the street due to centres running out of space.

Zoey Sheffield, who runs Cat Patrol in Mapperley, Nottingham, said her work was "relentless" and she received messages around the clock for help, with 200 cats also on their waiting list.

She said this year had been the centre's busiest, with 500 cats coming to the shelter in the last six months - double the amount of last year.

Sheffield said she believed the rise was down to the cost of living and added her rescue centre could now not take on any more cats unless it was an "absolute emergency situation".

She said part of the problem was the cost of neutering, which she said people on low incomes could not afford.

Sheffield said this led to unneutered domestic cats breeding with strays - increasing the stray population.

She said it could also increase unwanted cat litters, which could be at risk of being dumped by owners.

According to cat welfare charity Cats Protection, average costs of neutering a male cat is from £50 to £100 and about £100 to £300 for a female cat.

Sheffield wants the government to lower the prices vets can charge for neutering procedures and to make it mandatory for domestic cats.

In March, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) announced written prescription fees from vets will be capped at £21 as part of reforms coming in later this year.

However, a government spokesperson said it could not intervene in neutering costs charged by private businesses.

Cats Protection said female cats can produce up to 18 kittens a year and can reproduce from as early as four months.

"It's one massive, big cycle that is not going to stop," Sheffield added.

She said she was recently called to Bingham in Nottinghamshire to manage a feral cat colony of 50 cats that were not neutered, spayed, or microchipped.

She said calls like this were "common" to colonies with between 50 to 100 cats.

Her rescue centre currently cares for 212 cats.

"Unless something is done, there'll be cats and kittens dying on the street because there's nowhere for them to go," she said.

Cat Patrol is part of a WhatsApp group for cat rescues across the UK with about 100 members.

"We're getting messages from people all over the country because nobody's got any space," said Sheffield.

She said the rescue centre and its network of 70 fosterers went through 500 food pouches a day to feed the cats in their care.

Sheffield said they spent about £5,000 to £7,000 a month on vet fees, which she was struggling to afford.

To cover the costs, the shelter relies on adoption fees, donations and fundraisers.

She added: "We do everything that we can to keep our heads above water, sometimes, there's no money in the bank and everybody's panicking.

"Every single rescue up and down the country is in the same boat."

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said: "The government has published a Code of Practice for the Welfare of Cats with information for owners to help them make informed decisions about how best to care for their cats, including information on neutering.

"A number of animal welfare organisations, such as Cats Protection and the RSPCA, are also supporting owners through community neutering programmes."

Defra added veterinary practices were private businesses and it could not directly intervene with the costs of veterinary services.

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