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Thousands of kittens could be born this summer as lockdown impacts neutering procedures, charities warn

More than 7,000 cat related incidents have been reported to the RSPCA’s hotline since lockdown began

Ellie Fry
Monday 22 June 2020 15:41 BST
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Animal welfare charities have reported a surge in abandoned cats during lockdown
Animal welfare charities have reported a surge in abandoned cats during lockdown

Thousands of extra kittens could be born this summer due to the ongoing lockdown restrictions in the UK, animal welfare charities have warned.

As fewer vets are carrying out neutering procedures during the coronavirus crisis, experts have predicted that around 84,000 additional cats could be born during this period.

As kitten season traditionally occurs during the summer months, charities are already expecting a rise in births, but these numbers are set to be exacerbated as many owners are unable to get their pets neutered.

These concerns are compounded by the fact that charities are already facing a rise in unwanted pets during lockdown, as rescue shelters feel the strain of the pandemic.

Cats Protection, a national animal welfare charity, has warned that its shelters are already at capacity: “Our fear is that many kittens born this summer will be left on the streets. This is because Cats Protection is full up with cats and, owing to Covid-19, is unable to admit many more except in emergency cases.

The RSPCA has also reported that it is experiencing a “cat crisis” during lockdown, as the charity has taken more than 600 felines into care during the pandemic, which is more than any other pet. More than 7,000 cat related incidents have been reported to the charity's hotline since lockdown measures began.

One man from Harrow, London, found himself with a litter of 17 cats during lockdown. Cat’s Protection said the “issue arose when an unmetered female gave birth to a litter to four kittens and it soon spiralled from there.”

“A young male kitten in the litter mated with his own mother and sisters, who delivered their own litters, and the population soon escalated to 17 cats,” the charity said. The kittens were taken into care by the charity, which hopes to eventually re-home them.

A man in Harrow found himself with a litter of 17 cats during lockdown (Cats Protection)

In The Isle of Wight, seven kittens were recently abandoned without their mothers at an age when they would normally still rely on them for nourishment.

“The young cats were all underweight when they were found in a taped up cardboard box outside the gates of one of our adoption centres,” Cats Protection said. The kittens, which were believed to be from two different litters, were saved by the rescue shelter.

Dr Samantha Gaines, head of the RSPCA’s companion animal department, said: “We are currently caring for more cats than any other pet throughout the coronavirus crisis.

“Every year, the scale of the cat overpopulation problem becomes even more apparent from May to September when most cats are born as the RSPCA is often overwhelmed with kittens.

“The kitten season this year will continue despite COVID-19 and so the charity is bracing itself for even more cats.”

A survey of 1,000 cat owners by Cats Protection found that 86 per cent did not know that a female cat can have up to 18 kittens a year, while 77 per cent were unaware a female cat can become pregnant as early as four months of age.

Both charities are urging the nation’s cat owners to keep their pets indoors, and siblings separate if they are male and female, until vet practices can resume normal operations.

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