Cat and three tiny kittens found dumped inside carrier bag in Salford

The RSPCA fears more animals will be abandoned during lockdown

A cat and three kittens were found dumped in a carrier bag in Salford.

Luella and her babies, who are around 18 days old, are currently being cared for by the Manchester and Salford RSPCA branch.

The animal charity has received 364 reports regarding cats in Greater Manchester since the start of lockdown.

One call was about young mum Ruby, who was rescued by the RSPCA after being found struggling to give birth in Hyde.

She was so young she couldn’t give birth naturally so sadly three of her five kittens passed away.

Since lockdown, the charity has taken 324 cats into its care, more than any other pet – and there are fears that number is set to rise.

Lockdown means it is harder for owners to neuter their pets and RSPCA experts believe they will see even more unwanted litters coming through its doors.

Dr Samantha Gaines, head of the RSPCA’s companion animal department, said: “We are currently caring for more cats than any other pet throughout the Coronavirus crisis.

“Every year, the scale of the cat overpopulation problem becomes even more apparent from May to September when most cats are born as the RSPCA is often overwhelmed with kittens.

“The kitten season this year will continue despite COVID-19 and so the charity is bracing itself for even more cats.”

The charity is currently caring for 1,013 cats which is more than any other pet in its care, including 10 cats at Greater Manchester Animal Hospital.

Last year, there were 108,190 incidents reported about cats with 5,217 in Greater Manchester.

Sam added: “Our frontline officers will continue to rescue as many cats as we can and our animal centre staff, hospitals and branches will carry on caring for the many cats coming into our care throughout the crisis.

“We rely on donations from our generous supporters to carry out this vital work and need their support now more than ever as our services become stretched to the limit.

“We believe neutering cats from four months old will help tackle the cat overpopulation problem the UK faces.

“This will reduce the amount of unwanted and unexpected litters of kittens that are born and sadly end up in rescue centres.

“We understand that many owners may not be able to get their pets neutered at the moment as understandably vets are prioritising emergencies in the face of Covid-19 and restricting other procedures.

“It is important to follow your vet’s guidance and understand if they cannot neuter your pet at this time. We would urge anyone with an unneutered female cat to keep them indoors. If you have a male/female pair or really can’t keep your cat inside, do call your vet to discuss options.”

The RSPCA has plenty of information on how to keep your cat entertained indoors on its website. There is also lots of advice on keeping pets happy and healthy during the coronavirus crisis, here.