The RSPCA has seen a huge surge in online searches for cats as new figures show that on average the charity rehomes two cats every hour.
There was a 166% increase in searches for cats on the RSPCA’s FindAPet website following the first year of the pandemic (only 114,316 in March 2020 compared with 304,300 in January 2021).
Last year the charity rehomed 17,868 cats, which is 53 a day or two cats rehomed every hour.
Centres and branches are also caring for more cats than any pet, with nearly 3,000 moggies coming into the RSPCA’s care from the start of the year (January 1-August 31).
This month marks Adoptober, when the RSPCA highlights the animals in its care looking for homes, and with more cats coming into the charity’s care than any other pet, this means there are plenty of feline friends looking to be adopted.
Sam Gaines, head of the RSPCA’s companion animals team, said: “It’s great to see so many people are interested in adopting cats from the RSPCA. The lockdown has really shone a light on the close bonds we have with our pets and for many people, their pets have become a real source of comfort during these challenging times.”
