Bradford’s “shocking” cat crisis has deepened amid the cost of living squeeze, pandemic and a never-ending neutering battle.

The situation was already unimaginable for Pink Paws Cat Rescue’s Laura Westcough in 2019, who was rescuing around nine to ten cats each day.

Back then, the main root cause of the problem was down to families not neutering their cats – creating a constant supply of needless kitten births - before they were left to fend for themselves on the streets.

Now, on top of this, independent rescues are facing rising vet bills and families surrendering kittens and cats bought in lockdown due to a lack of money or time.

Other pet owners currently facing financial worries simply cannot afford neutering, vet treatments and cat food.

It has created a perfect storm, leaving many rescues’ books in the red and volunteers struggling to cope.

“Things are so bad at the moment, it’s shocking,” Laura told the Telegraph & Argus.

“So many cats and kittens in need and everywhere is full.

“Due to some vets not carrying out neutering procedures there are more unneutered cats around. Lots of people also got kittens during the lockdown, and those are now of breeding age - people still don’t understand the importance of neutering their pets.

“Owners don’t even want their original cat, yet they let her breed, multiply the problem, then expect the whole lot to become someone else’s problem.

“We are under immense pressure - every single rescue is.

“The pressure is crippling good people, we can’t continue like this, something has to change and soon.”

It’s a similar story for fosterer Billie-Jean Nixon who works with Ally Cats Rescue of Thornton.

Halfway through the interview, she received a text to say a fifth kitten from one stray’s litter had died.

The rescuer said: “Bradford gets worse year on year.

“We have approx 15 independent cat rescues varying in size and they are all over capacity with long waiting lists.

“Our greatest challenge is the belief by many people in Bradford that neutering is somehow cruel and goes against nature and certain religious beliefs. Neutering would save hundreds if not thousands of cats and kittens from suffering and dying on our streets.

“Other obstacles are the lack of rented accommodation allowing pets and short hold tenancies mean lots of people move on and leave their cats. Ever increasing vet fees are also a problem as many people simply can't afford to treat their pets when they get sick.

“Add that to the rising cost of living and I fear an already over stretched rescue world is going to be inundated with people wanting to relinquish their animals.

“We are also feeling the impact of price rises and get no government help whatsoever. We fundraise tirelessly but it barely scratches the surface and our vet bills are frequently thousands of pounds in the red.

“Many street cats come in with issues, be it emotional or physical. A huge amount have cat flu, dental issues, kidney disease and need expensive vet care and rehabilitation. After that rehoming is very slow as they are left with long term health issues and nobody wants them.”

How you can help

Cats Protection runs a chip and snip campaign in the BD1 to BD15 postcode areas, excluding BD13.

Under the campaign, you can get your pet cat neutered for just £5 and microchipped for an additional £5.

Keighley Cat Care also runs a similar scheme.

Meanwhile Laura said: “If anyone is struggling to afford it but wants to neuter their cat, please contact us direct Pink Paws Cat Rescue.

“People need to step up to their responsibilities and neuter their cats. They choose to get a pet, now choose to do the right thing by it and neuter it.”

Meanwhile Ally Cats is appealing for new volunteers who can keep the operation running smoothly through cleaning.

There are volunteering opportunities available between Thursday and Sunday.

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