Tails Animal Rescue 'overloaded' with cats and kittens

Tails Animal Rescue, based in Rudheath, has been inundated with cats and kittens in recent weeks.

There are currently more than 30 felines in their care, with only 12 permanent pens available.

John Ashworth, who runs the charity, said: “To say we are overloaded would be putting it mildly.

“It’s a nightmare at the moment.

“I know a couple of other local rescues who are also at bursting point.

“But we are still going out and trying to do what we can because it’s a life at the end of the day.

“You don’t throw your kids out, you don’t throw your animals out. It’s as simple as that.”

Three-legged Winnie is among the cats currently looking for a new home (Image: Supplied)

John, who turns 72 this year, believes there are several reasons for the spike in pet abandonments, including unethical breeders and rising vet bill costs.

However, in some cases, it is down to people being ‘irresponsible’.

John has seen instances of owners ditching their pets before holidays, rather than paying for a cattery.

There are also owners who forget to get their pets neutered and end up with litters of unwanted kittens.

“Our name is getting about now and the phone is non-stop,” said John.

“There used to be two kitten seasons a year, now kitten season lasts 12 months. Kittens are popping up every five minutes, it’s all going haywire.

“A lot of people are just dumping for the sake of it.”

He added: “A lot of people don’t understand, they think rescues have room galore and money to spend.

“We’re not a rich charity.”

One of the kittens currently up for adoption (Image: Supplied)

Rehoming black and white cats has become a particular issue for Tails.

John said: “Black and white cats are a nightmare to rehome.

“We just had four ginger cats and two fawns. As soon as they hit the website they were gone and we knew they would fly through the door.

“We’ve got a lot of stunning black and white cats here. They’re a lot of fun and they bring us so much pleasure.

“But people don’t want that. They want a cat that matches the wallpaper or the furniture.

“Come Christmas time people will be ringing in for presents. Go to Argos not a rescue.”

It has been a particular challenge rehoming black and white cats such as Cheeky (Image: Supplied)

At the end of last year, Tails was awarded charity status.

While this has helped with donations, the charity still relies heavily on the hard work and dedication of its volunteers.

“I appreciate everything all of the volunteers do for Tails, without them we wouldn’t survive,” John said.

“A lot of people think it’s just cuddling cats but there’s a lot more to it. I appreciate the volunteers so much, they go above and beyond – they’re brilliant.”

For more information on how you can help the charity, head to its website here.