Cat crisis: breeding now at ‘unprecedented levels’

Following the news that over a million cats in the UK remain unneutered, Bristol Animal Rescue Centre is helping local pet owners on low incomes get access to low cost neutering.

There has been an unprecedented increase in cat breeding recently, with over a million cats still unneutered, according to statistics from the RSPCA.

There are around 12.5 million cats in the UK, and on average 91% are neutered each year. During the pandemic these figures dropped to 86% in 2020 and while the numbers are starting to rise again, this means there still over a million unneutered cats in the UK.

The pandemic is partly to blame, with an increase in demand for pets coupled with difficulties accessing veterinary care. Waiting lists for routine procedures such a neutering grew following successive lockdowns, which may have resulted in unwanted litters being born. This, in turn, puts pressure on rescue charities like ours.

There are nearly a quarter of a million stray cats living in urban areas of the UK – or around 9.3 per square kilometre – according to a recent study. The high numbers of strays are mainly concentrated in poorer areas, noted the report. This may be made up of accidental litters and cats being abandoned or straying from home, who then support themselves by scavenging on human food waste. The authors noted that barriers to neutering, especially during the pandemic, are pushing up stray populations. Last year Bristol Animal Rescue Centre took in 296 cats and neutered over 400.

In response to the crisis, the Centre is offering low cost cat neutering for eligible cat owners who are on low incomes in the Bristol area, as part of a campaign that was originally launched during lockdown.

Under this scheme, we offer cat castrations for £30 and cat spays for £45 to eligible pet owners in Bristol.

Full details and terms and conditions can be found on the low cost cat neutering page here.

“On average, we neuter about 40 cats a month at the moment. We are here to support low income pet owners in Bristol and ensure that no cat gets left behind,” said Dr Damian Pacini, Principal Vet at Bristol Animal Rescue Centre.