Millions of unwanted kittens will be in need of cat food this year because kitties are not being neutered.
Cats Protection has launched a campaign to urge owners to have their cats neutered after witnessing an 18 per cent increase in the number of abandoned kittens arriving at its adoption centres in the summer of last year.
The charity believes that this year could be even worse, as volunteer staff are already reporting that litters of kittens are being dumped at the centres.
Ian MacFarlaine, neutering manager at Cats Protection, said: "The exceptional increase we experienced last year put an intolerable strain on our already limited resources and I'm worried what this could mean for us in 2011.
"Just one unneutered female cat can produce up to 18 offspring in one year so neutering really will help drive down the number of unwanted kittens."
Every year the charity, on average, takes in 5,700 abandoned kittens. Looking after these kittens costs £1.9 million every year.
