A SHARP rise in the number of abandoned pets has this week sparked an appeal from animal care organisations.

Margaret Green Foundation, which runs Wingletang Animal Rescue and Re-homing Centre near Tavistock, has seen a big increase in the number of calls they are receiving — while re-homing requests have dropped off.

The charity's Lou Keeling said: 'We are absolutely full of cats at Wingletang at the moment, and this week we haven't re-homed any at all, so we are teeming with them.

'This time of year is always bad, but I think there's been an increase this year.'

Wingletang currently has 18 cats which desperately need new homes — males and females, of all ages and colours.

Lou said the cats — and dogs — needed re-homing for a variety of reasons, including family break-downs and financial pressures.

Pets were also brought to the centre when their elderly owners are unable to take them in to care homes.

But many were just abandoned.

'We get an awful lot of stray animals and that has definitely increased this year.'

Lou said that in just her first week working with the charity, a man had dumped a box at the centre, threatening to throw its contents over a cliff unless staff took it. Inside were two female cats, one heavily pregnant, and four, week-old kittens.

'It's also the time of year when people don't think about offering a home to a pet, because they are facing the increased costs of winter,' said Lou.

She said the charity's vet bills alone were averaging £10,000 a month over its three sites, and heating costs obviously shot up during the winter months.

Lou appealed to animal lovers to consider re-homing a cat or dog from a rescue centre like Wingletang. The centre would also be grateful for toys for the animals, which were an important part of their continuing socialisation while they were in their care. Good quality kitten food was also desperately needed.

'We actually run a boarding facility for cats — all our staff are fully qualified animal welfare workers and all the money we make from boarding goes straight back into the rescue of animals,' said Lou.

Emily Birt, a vet with Drake Vets at Yelverton and Tavistock, said the amount of stray cats being found and brought to the surgery was 'definitely on the increase'.

'We had one come in yesterday, a mother and three kittens. They were found out on the moor — we neutered the mother yesterday, so she won't be able to have any more kittens and she will go on to the RSPCA. The kittens are weaned now so we will try and find homes for them.'

Emily said part of the problem was that people did not realise how quickly a female cat could start reproducing.

'If people don't get them neutered at a young age, they will start reproducing, and then before you know it the kittens will get pregnant and very quickly it can spiral out of control.

'The re-homing centres are full to the brim at the moment — we try and rear any kittens we get in and we have had quite a lot of success re-homing them, but it does take time and also space which we should be using for our patients.'

Jo Barr from the RSPCA said: 'Sadly, the economic crisis has led to an increase in animals being abandoned across the country.

'With the increase in abandonments, as well as the impact of rises in fuel, energy and veterinary costs, the RSPCA's operational costs are increasing faster than new income is being generated from traditional sources such as legacies.

'All the work we do to help animals in need is reliant on public donations, and we remain extremely grateful for every penny given at what is for many supporters a very difficult time.'

To find out how you can help support Margaret Green animal rescue centres like Wingletang, go to http://www.animalsanctuaryuk.com">www.animalsanctuaryuk.com

For more information on the work of the RSPCA, visit http://www.rspca.org.uk">www.rspca.org.uk