Record numbers of cats and kittens in our care

This year is proving to be one of the worst on record for dealing with abandoned and unwanted cats and kittens in South Bucks. 

So far in 2026, our branch has rescued more than 100 cats and kittens, and we currently have a staggering 56 felines in our care – most being looked after by our dedicated volunteer foster carers.

But with kitten season still in full swing, we are concerned that numbers will only continue to rise, which is why the branch is urging people to do their bit to help.

The rise in unwanted felines is thought to be down to a number of factors, such as the cost of living crisis, and the aftermath of the halt of neutering during Covid.

Trustee for our branch and cat coordinator, Elaine, says, “We are overwhelmed with abandoned and unwanted felines, many of them have recently given birth to kittens or are pregnant. The number of abandoned cats and kittens is frightening really. We are dealing with so many every single week. We’ve had kittens and cats left in woodland, and in one of the most recent incidents, four kittens were abandoned on an allotment.

We have an amazing network of fosterers who look after the cats before they are ready to be rehomed, but even if we had double the number of fosterers, we would still not be able to meet the demand.

The fosterers are incredible, with many hand-rearing kittens, and they are all volunteers. We are so incredibly grateful to them.

This year looks like a record year for all the wrong reasons, and so we are asking for the public’s help. We would ask anyone who is considering getting a cat or kitten to please visit a rescue first. By adopting, you are helping two animals, the one you adopt and also freeing up vital space for another to come in.

We are also urging people to please neuter their pets and to stop unwanted breeding. Cat owners who neuter their pets help stem this surge in unwanted pets. Visit https://www.rspca.org.uk/adviceandwelfare/pets/general/neutering to find out more about neutering.

We are always keen to recruit more fosterers, and it is a wonderful way of getting involved with the work we do at the branch. Having more fosterers enables us to help more animals, and gives us the best chance of matching our animals to the perfect permanent home. We are always looking for local people willing to open their homes to a cat, rabbit or other small animal looking for a fresh start.”

To find out more about becoming a fosterer please visit https://www.rspca-southbucks.org.uk/volunteering To apply to become a fosterer, see https://www.rspca-southbucks.org.uk/vacancies

If you are looking for cats or kittens to adopt, please visit https://www.rspca-southbucks.org.uk/adopt-a-cat where you will find lots of felines waiting for their forever homes.

If you would like to make a donation to help fund our work, please use the donate button at the top of this website.

Thank you for your support.