Tater Tot and Charlie Brown are seeking homes

THE cost-of-living crisis is leading to a sharp increase in unwanted kittens, charity workers have warned.

And North London Adoption Centre in Archway said it expects to see more pets abandoned as people are forced to cut back on spending on vets’ bills and food for their animals.

In the first quarter of the year the centre in Junction Road – run by Cat Protection – saw a 25 per cent rise in the number of kittens being found as strays or handed over by people who said they had no means of looking after them.

In each case new homes are sought, but it is becoming an increasingly testing challenge for staff.

Jane Clements, head of neutering at Cats Protection, said: “The top reasons are usually because they are stray, from an unwanted litter, or part of a multi-cat household.

“But this year we are also seeing people having to relinquish cats due to home evictions.”

She added: “Life is expensive and the impact of the cost-of-living crisis is really going to start showing in the later stages of the year.”

Jen Lennon

Jen Lennon, manager of the adoption centre, said: “Already this year we’ve had a number of very poorly cats come into our care. Some were found in a garden, believed to have been abandoned by their owner at only five weeks old.

“They were in a sorry state and, sadly, not all survived. The cost of care for these poor kittens is high and makes a big dent in our budget. The cost on the cats is even higher.”

Cats Protection is a national charity with three branches in London and 35 across the country. They are responsible for rehoming around 60,000 cats and kittens every year and promoting responsible cat ownership. To avoid a vast number of cats being left on the streets or without a home, the charity encourages pet owners to apply for financial support and invest in pet health insurance.

But as people tighten their belts due to rising prices, the centre is also struggling with rehoming cats. Charlie Brown and Tater Tot are two of the shelter’s cats that have been waiting for almost 90 days to find a new home.

“People are struggling to pay their energy bills and don’t want the added cost of owning and caring for a pet at the moment,” said Ms Lennon. “While we appreciate that people don’t want to adopt unless they can really provide for their pets, these cats do need a home.”

People interested in giving cats a home can get more information at www.cats.org.uk/northlondon