A Shropshire animal rescue centre has been inundated with record numbers of cats needing new homes, bosses said today.

And the situation could be being made worse by the aftermath of the recession as cash-strapped pet owners in the county abandon their animals to keep to tight household budgets. The warning comes from bosses at Jenaveve Cat Rescue, which is based at Sleap, near Wem.

Eve Dodds, who runs the centre with friend and fellow animal lover Jenny Martinez, said the centre was under immense strain as “kitten season” peaks and record numbers of cats of all ages go on the waiting list to move in.

She said: “I have never known it to be as bad as this year. We are trying to prioritise cases but we only have room for about 30 animals and we’re at capacity as it is.

Growing

“The waiting list is growing longer and it could have something to do with the economic climate.

“I think some people are dumping their pets because they take them on then realise later on they cannot afford to look after them properly with all the vet bills, food and jabs you have to pay for.”

Some pet owners’ failure to neuter their cats could also be making the problem worse, she added.

“After the kitten stage, some owners think their cats lose the ‘ahhh’ factor and they don’t want them any more and just get rid of them, often before doing the right thing and getting them neutered,” she said.

The centre has a policy of trying to re-home animals, but some, like Dave the cat, which has epilepsy, need round-the-clock care and cannot be re-homed because of his complex needs.

The centre has to fund most of the services it offers and can only rely on limited financial support from the local authority. Animal lovers can help the centre by volunteering, giving the gift of sponsorship or making a donation. To find out more, go to www.grinshillanimal rescue.co.uk/jenaveve

By Tom Johannsen