THE RSPCA South East region has announced a rise in cat abandonment for the third year running.
The number of cats reported to the RSPCA as abandoned rose from 2,048 in 2006 to 2,421in 2007 in the South East region alone.
In West Sussex the number of calls the charity received about abandoned cats rose from 62 to 76, but the reported number of abandoned cats bucked the trend, dropping from 136 to 119.
This means, along with the traditional rise in cat numbers in the summer, RSPCA centres, branches, private boarding facilities and foster carers are currently full of cats, with hundreds in care.
RSPCA regional superintendent Paul Stilgoe said: "While the majority of owners are responsible, we still see people going away and not making provisions for their pet, together with those who do not want to pay for veterinary care and either abandon or give up sick animals."
Many of the cats collected by the RSPCA are thought to have caring families, but without a microchip there is no way of knowing where they belong.
Animal Welfare Manager Sue Knowles said: "Neutering is also vital to prevent thousands more cats from becoming unwanted.
"Often cats have litters of kittens that owners can't cope with and they bring them to the RSPCA and other charities or even abandon them."
More information on microchipping and neutering can be found at
www.rspca.org.uk -------------------------------------
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