‘We really need help’: RSPCA faces capacity crisis as cats arrive faster than they can be rehomed
tags:There is a cat crisis in rescue centres across the country, the RSPCA has said, as abandoned felines now outnumber dogs in the charity’s shelters.
Cats are arriving in RSPCA centres faster than they can be rehomed, and the charity is asking people across England and Wales to consider adopting. Pet owners are being urged to neuter their cats as kittens are increasingly being found dumped in perilous conditions.
Pet hoarders are also contributing to the uptick in cats needing rescue. In 2025, the charity responded to 1,780 incidents involving 10 or more cats at a single address – almost five every day, and a nearly 65% increase on the year before. These incidents involved more than 36,000 cats in total.
The RSPCA has run out of room for cats and dogs in its shelters. It has been dealing with capacity issues since last year, partly due to the rise in multi-animal cases alongside rising cruelty and neglect.
Beth Clements, the RSPCA’s assistant director of animal services, said: “We’ve seen a huge influx of cats and kittens. Sadly it just isn’t slowing down – and it’s having a massive impact on our centres and branches.
“So far this year we’re taking in an average of 624 cats each month across our 14 national centres and private boarding establishments – that’s not including the massive numbers our independent local branch network are taking in too.”
She revealed that cats in the charity’s care now outnumbered dogs, adding: “We’re especially keen to find homes for adult cats who may have been overlooked in favour of kittens, as well as those who need experienced, patient owners or slightly alternative homes to help them settle into a new life.”
Cat numbers in the RSPCA’s care have been going up every year since 2021, when the charity welcomed 4,436 cats into its 14 animal centres. Last year it looked after 6,408. By October this year, the RSPCA had taken in 5,616 cats. This means it is likely there will be an increase on last year’s total as cat breeding season has just finished, which usually leads to an influx of stray cats.
Including all the foster centres and independent branches, about 20,000 cats were taken into RSPCA care last year, and the charity expects this number to increase for 2026.
‘There are simply more cats and kittens coming into our care than we have the space for,” Clements said.
Foster carers, who look after animals until they can find a permanent home, are crucial for the operations of the RSPCA, particularly as it runs out of space.
Jo Rowland, the chief executive of the RSPCA, said: “We currently have more animals in our care than space in our centres and branches – and it’s a heart-breaking situation that other animal charities and rescue centres are also facing.
“We really need help from animal lovers. If you are considering adding a pet to your home, please consider rescuing – and if you can’t adopt, could you consider fostering? We are working to increase our number of foster carers, as well as modernising our rehoming process, to try and get animals into loving homes sooner.”