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Influx of kittens prompts plea to neuter cats

Harvey Bell & Aimee Dexter
BBC News, Suffolk
Harvey Bell/BBC Emma Floyd is standing just off centre wearing a black T-shirt looking at the camera. She is holding a white and black cat in her arms, and is standing in a metal animal cage.Harvey Bell/BBC
Suffolk Animal Rescue said they have seen an increase in the amount of kittens coming into the centre

An animal rescue charity is urging people to neuter their cats because of a rise in the number of kittens needing rehoming.

Suffolk Animal Rescue, which is based in Stowmarket, said they had been inundated with kittens and have had to make an urgent appeal for donations to fund food and medication.

Staff say the most concerning aspects are the risk of an immunodeficiency virus and the number of pregnant kittens they are dealing with.

Emma Floyd, a kennel maid for the charity, said: "People that let their female cats out too soon are running at a high risk of their cat becoming pregnant."

The Suffolk based charity specialises in taking in feral cats and "taming them".

They said it was becoming "extremely concerning" after they started to see kittens having their own babies.

Harvey Bell/BBC Four kittens are in a brown cardboard box laying on a white blanket. They are all white, black and grey, and are all laying next to each other. Harvey Bell/BBC
Two more cats were expected to have litters of about five kittens each, the charity said

Ms Floyd, who lives in Pettistree, said: "I think last year we were around the 50-kitten mark.

"It takes a long time getting through the kittens and mums. It is not just the care, but it is the medication."

Due to the influx of kittens arriving at the rehoming centre, the charity said they had been working to maximise space.

"It is thinking about if we have older kittens who can move on to the older area, it frees up our spaces," Ms Floyd added.

She raised concerns about domestic cats not being neutered and also contracting Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV).

According to the RSPCA, FIV is a viral infection that results in cats having a weakened immune system.

Ms Floyd said people could be "running a high risk" of their cat mating with an FIV-positive tom if they are not neutered.

"There are so many schemes set up for people to get help with neutering their cat," she added.

An online wishlist was set up by the rescue centre after it "went through supplies at a very fast pace".

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