New figures released by an animal charity have revealed hundreds of calls reporting cruelty to cats were received in Staffordshire last year.
The RSPCA say 371 incidents were recorded in the county during 2021.
National figures show that there were 17,804 reports to the charity lined to mistreatment, abandonment and neglect of cats.
David Bowles, from the RSPCA, said there were fears a recent boom in the kitten trade could see the figures rise even further going forward.
“The demand for pets soared during the pandemic, meaning backstreet kitten breeders have been able to make more money out of flogging pets online.
“We normally see a rise in kittens being sold at this time of year and coupled with the cost of living crisis, sadly we could see a boom in the kitten trade this year as a result.”
David Bowles, RSPCA
To help prevent incidents the RSPCA has launched its Cancel Out Cruelty campaign which aims to raise funds to keep its rescue teams on the frontline as well as raising awareness.
Sam Watson, cat welfare expert at the RSPCA, said:
“It’s awful to think cats are suffering deliberate cruelty and to know that an average of seven cats every single day in the UK are suffering at the hands of humans is really distressing.
“Cats are one of the most popular pets in the UK with an estimated 10.5 million pet cats in UK homes, but sadly they are the second most abused pet after dogs.
“Tragically, we see hundreds of animals that come through our doors every year who have been subjected to unimaginable cruelty – being beaten, thrown across the room, had bones broken, been shot at, poisoned and drowned.
“As well as being hurt by their owners, cats are also more vulnerable as they tend to be out and about on their own which can leave them vulnerable to airgun attacks and other forms of cruelty by complete strangers.”
Sam Watson, RSPCA
People can find out more about the Cancel Out Cruelty campaign online.
