It takes quite a lot to shock an experienced vet – but when four tiny kittens tied together by their umbilical cords turned up at one practice in the district, it was among the most horrific cases of animal cruelty staff had ever seen.

The kittens had been found in a skip and taken to the vets. The only surviving kitten is now fighting for life at Haworth Cat Rescue.

“The cruelty was horrific,” says centre manager Sam Davies. “The kittens had been tied together by their umbilical cords around their legs, causing broken legs and internal injuries. Separating them without further harm was extremely difficult for the vet as they were so entangled. Everyone has been very upset by this.”

Two of the kittens had severely broken limbs and had to be put to sleep. The two survivors were passed on to the cat rescue, based at Cross Roads .

“They were so tiny and had been through such suffering that Star didn’t survive the trauma of her ordeal, but little Cinnamon is doing well so far,” says Sam.

“You never get used to the horror in animal rescue. We’re so grateful that there are people out there who care, and that the skip man found the kittens before they would have been crushed to death.”

The shocking case reflects the district’s escalating stray cat problem, which is putting enormous pressure on cat rescue organisations and other animal charities.

The Telegraph & Argus recently reported that Allerton Cat Rescue, which annually receives about 300 cats, was unable to take in any more as it owes thousands in vets’ bills.

Founder Brenda Satterley says this year has been one of the worst for unwanted and abandoned animals. “It has come to the point where we’ve had to close our doors to further cats in need due to a lack of funds,” she says. “Our food resources are running low. We cannot go on without financial support.”

Mandy Miller, animal centre manager at Bradford’s branch of the RSPCA, says: “We’re struggling to cope with the amount of cats coming through our doors. Last year we had 67 cats abandoned, and so far this year we’ve had 35.”

Haworth Cat Rescue currently has more than 100 kittens. Campaign manager Corinne Moore says the “massive increase” is largely down to unneutered cats.

“Not neutering your cat is a false economy. When females inevitably become pregnant this brings added costs, with more mouths to feed,” says Corinne. “Kittens can get pregnant as young as four to five months. People often think brothers and sisters, mothers and sons (in cats) don’t interbreed, but they do. We’re often asked to help multiple-cat households where things have got out of control.”

Corinne says that for people struggling to afford cat care, larger charities offer neutering at reduced rates.

“Generally speaking, it is apathy or ignorance in owners who simply can’t be bothered to care for their cat and end up with a problem they pass on to somebody else,” she adds. “The abandonment of unwanted cats often leads to the formation of colonies which can’t be tamed.”

It costs around £13,000 a month to run Haworth Cat Rescue. “We’re caring for more than 100 kittens. Most are in foster care; we provide the food and litter and the orphans need special formula (milk) which is around £12 for a small tin,” says Corinne. “All will be neutered at ten weeks old. The mothers will be done at the same time.”

The recession has been particularly tough on animal charities. Many are struggling with the double whammy of increasing numbers of pets abandoned by owners who can no longer afford them, and a general shortage of donations from a cash-strapped public.

“It is very challenging to get funding,” says Corinne. “A large number of cats and kittens need medical attention to treat illnesses and chronic conditions. The cost of cat food has risen, as have all our other bills for things such as heating, public liability insurance, which we need for volunteers, and running costs of our van.

“We have all the normal running costs of a business, but some members of the public assume we either don’t need to pay for these things or we get them for free!”

  • For more information, to help with fundraising, or to become a volunteer, call Haworth Cat Rescue on (01535) 647184 or visit haworthcatrescue.org, or call Allerton Cat Rescue on (01274) 481984.