Charity's plea to owners to neuter their cats

The sister cats, called Mambo and May, are just nine weeks old - the latest in a growing trend of unwanted animals found abandoned in public locations throughout the city, according to Rain.

Deputy charity manager Lauren Sanderson said: “We have seen a huge surge lately in the number of cats and kittens being abandoned on the streets and received numerous calls and emails each day asking us to take in litters of these unwanted animals. Just the week before Mambo and May were found, we received a call about two kittens that had been shut inside a cardboard box and left in the middle of the woods.”

In the last 12 months Rain Rescue has rescued, rehabilitated and rehomed 317 cats and kittens from crisis situations. The Sheffield-based charity, founded in 2002, currently works in partnership with Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, Cats Protection, Blue Cross and Yorkshire Cat Rescue to find homes for the unwanted cats and kittens of South Yorkshire.

The charity is now appealing to owners to get their cats neutered - both male and female - to prevent such situations.

Lauren added: “Cat owners really must start to do the responsible thing and neuter their cats to prevent situations like this, which are rapdily getting out of control. Small rescues like ourselves are simply overloaded and cannot cope with the volume of cats and kittens we are being asked to help.

“The number of cats being abandoned in the Yorkshire area is now at crisis point and something has got to change.

“It is really not a good life out on the streets for un-neutered cats. The females are mated over and over and, in the last two weeks, we have taken in two males, both badly injured from fighting.”

If you can offer a loving and responsible home to an unwanted cat or kitten, contact Rain Rescue on 07725 888207 to arrange a visit to the Sheffield centre, or visit www.rainrescue.co.uk for further details.

Rain Rescue is an animal welfare charity which aims to help pets and their owners in times of severe crisis - like dogs facing being put to sleep in local authority kennels, cats abandoned on the streets, as well as helping owners with pets in times of hardship such as bereavement and families facing eviction from their homes.

The charity asks that people think long and hard before giving up their pets, but if there really is no alternative - like a home with family, or friends - then there are a number of things people should do, including: making sure your pet is neutered and microchipped; writing up a good, clear, truthful description of your pet, talking about energy levels, training and temperament with other animals and children; taking nice photos of your pet in a happy environment to show off its character; creating a poster, featuring a contact number, and putting it in local libraries and post offices.