The RSPCA has released new figures which reveal seven cats a day suffer at the hands of humans, with numbers expected to increase during the summer months.

From 2016 to 2021, there were 16,212 incidents of deliberate cruelty towards cats reported to the animal welfare charity which means more than six cats a day suffer at the hands of humans.

In 2021 alone, there were 1,387 reports of intentional harm to cats, peaking during the months of July and August.

Overall, there were 17,804 complaints made to the charity regarding cats in 2021 from abandonments, poisonings, mutilations, shootings, beatings and neglect.

This includes 936 reports in Greater Manchester alone.

The RSPCA also fears that new figures showing a recent boom in the kitten trade could see a worrying rise in unscrupulous breeders putting profits before welfare and could spell further cruelty to cats.

In the last five years, there were 825 reports made to Trading Standards, council officers who enforce consumer protection laws, across England and Wales involving kitten-related complaints.

Compared with 2017 figures, there was a 185% increase in 2021 regarding the buying and selling of kittens.

David Bowles, head of public affairs at the RSPCA, said: “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.

“If you are considering buying a kitten, we would urge people to use the Kitten Checklist.”

To help prevent suffering, the RSPCA has launched its Cancel Out Cruelty campaign which aims to raise funds to keep its rescue teams on the frontline saving animals in desperate need of help as well as raising awareness about how we can all work together to stamp out cruelty for good.

Sam Watson, a 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 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.”

In Greater Manchester, the charity investigated a horrific discovery of a cat which had been hanged by a washing line.

The body of the 10-year-old black and white cat, called Jack, was recovered from the back garden of a home in Wythenshawe in June.

 

In what appears to be a deliberate act of cruelty, the line had been tied from a fence to the lower branch of a tree and then wrapped around the cat’s neck three times before being knotted up.

The distraught owner, Tracy McCormick, was called to her neighbours’ home, where the discovery was made.

She believes the shy rescue cat was seized by the perpetrator as he was usually timid in the company of strangers.

Sadly, despite an appeal for information the person responsible has not yet been found.

The RSPCA receives around 90,000 calls to its cruelty line every month and investigates 6,000 reports of deliberate animal cruelty, including animal fighting and hunting.

In the summer, calls rise to 134,000 a month or three every minute, with reports of cruelty soaring to 7,600 each month. 

To help support the RSPCA, visit: www.rspca.org.uk/stopcruelty.