Animal welfare charity bosses say they are spending more than £8,000 on private boarding per week as they face an “overwhelming” number of cats.

RSPCA branches in Leybourne and Ashford have launched an urgent appeal for adopters.

This year, the charity has already received 9,748 calls regarding the number of dumped animals.

Cats are some of the worst affected, with almost 300 stuck in private boarding as they wait for a space in centres and branches.

Rachel Sinden, animal care assistant at the Kent, Ashford, Tenterden and District branch said: “We currently have some of the worst waiting lists we have seen in the last 10 years.

“Our garden cattery pods are all full, our centre has 47 cats on site – 23 of which are kittens and are currently too young to be rehomed.

“We also receive multiple calls everyday from members of the public needing to give up their cats and kittens. It’s an impossible situation.

“We think the issue stems from the cost-of-living crisis – people can’t afford to pay their bills and feed themselves and their families, so it makes sense that the first thing to go is their pets.”

The branch also believes that owners failing to neuter their cats is a large cause of the increase.

Kitten season always sees a peak in the volume of unwanted litters, but this year numbers are climbing.

“Unneutered cats can reproduce very quickly, making a much larger situation to deal with,” Rachel explained.

“Kittens can get pregnant from just four months old and they can have a litter up to three times a year, which can become a very expensive issue for owners and often causes them to relinquish or in the worst cases, abandon them.

“With the large influx of kittens being born locally and less people wanting to adopt cats, our rescue centres are becoming overwhelmed.

“As well as being desperate for adopters, we are urging owners to neuter their cats – it’s a simple and inexpensive procedure that will prevent costly, unwanted litters.”

RSPCA Leybourne Animal Centre is facing a similar struggle.

Deputy manager, Angelina Allingham said: “We are absolutely swamped with cats!

“They are coming in faster than we can find homes for them. Alongside our team of fosterers we’ve currently got 66 cats and kittens in our care.

“On site we have capacity for 55 cats, but we’re already caring for 46, so we are rapidly running out of room. It won’t be long until those spaces are filled.

“Our fosterers are caring for 20 cats at the moment so we are practically full to the brim.

“It’s devastating that our intake is going up and up but rehoming has really slowed down. We just want to get these guys and gals into happy homes.”

Although it is an increasing problem in Kent, the crisis has been seen nationally, with nearly every centre and branch reporting they are struggling to accommodate numbers.

The RSPCA has nearly 300 cats in private boarding and hospitals waiting to enter centres.

In order to cope with this huge influx, the charity is relying on private boarding – which comes at a huge price.

Costs have risen to £8,287 per week and are rapidly increasing the longer the cats stay.

Potential adopters can search for animals in need of homes by visiting the “Find a Pet” page.

The RSPCA website also offers lots of useful advice about neutering cats to prevent unwanted litters, as well as the new mandatory microchipping laws coming into effect in 2024.