People urged by RSPCA to fully consider pet ownership after boom in Google searches for kittens

A report from the animal welfare charity shows there were 1,010 cat incidents in Hampshire this year, with Google searches for kittens in July seeing a 667 per cent increase from last year.

The RSPCA urges people thinking of getting a pet to consider whether they can care for them in the long-term - and not just for a pandemic.

Alice Potter, cat welfare expert, said: ‘It’s fantastic that so many people are interested in bringing a cat into their home this year. However, with such high increases in people searching for kittens online, it’s important that prospective owners are doing their research and not buying a kitten on impulse.

‘This means making sure they have the time, money and resources to care for a cat for the rest of their lives, but also ensuring that if buying a kitten they are buying a healthy and happy kitten from a responsible breeder.’

Alice was pleased to see there was a 114 per cent increase in people searching for cats from the RSPCA.

She added: ‘It’s great to see so many people are looking to adopt a rescue cat with more than a million people visiting our cat Find a Pet page during the pandemic.

‘We are braced for a kitten season boom next year as routine neutering procedures had to be put on hold during the lockdown. This means that whilst the UK is already facing a cat overpopulation crisis, we may now see even more unplanned litters of kittens.’

SEE ALSO: RSPCA warns of 'welfare catastrophe' as it deals with 173 calls to horses in distress across Hampshire

Domestic shorthair Susie is one of the cats being cared for by The Stubbington Ark, and has been looking for a home for more than four months.

The seven-year-old struggled in the main cattery but since being moved to an outdoor heated pen, she has started to trust a couple of staff members and rubs her head on their legs.

Susie will need a large room exclusively for her so she can gain confidence and trust, so staff are looking for an adult-only family who have experience with difficult cats.

For more information, visit stubbingtonark.org.uk and visit the animals for adoption page.

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