700 cat cruelty cases reported in Wiltshire and Hampshire in a year
The RSPCA has seen a 25% rise in incidents across the country
Over 700 reports of cruelty to cats were made to the RSPCA in Wiltshire and Hampshire last year.
There were almost 18,000 reports of cat cruelty across the nation, a 25% increase on 2021.
In Wiltshire last year, 237 reports made while Hampshire saw a staggering 494.
The heart-breaking figures have been released by the animal charity as part of its Cancel Out Cruelty campaign.
The campaign is bidding to raise funds to help frontline rescue teams continue to save animals from abuse and cruelty.
Dr Sam Gaines, the RSPCA’s head of companion animal department says it’s heart breaking to think that every day five cats are suffering at the hands of humans.
“In many cases these pets have been injured deliberately by their owners - the very people who are supposed to love and protect them. But 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.”
A senseless act of deliberate harm
One such case of cat cruelty happened in Hampshire, where a kitten was killed after being thrown over a fence.
The shocking moment was captured on CCTV, triggering an RSPCA investigation.
The kitten was thought to have been just a few weeks old and was found in the garden of a property.
RSPCA animal rescue officer, Karen Gregor investigated the death for animal welfare charity:
“This was a shocking and senseless act of deliberate cruelty towards a defenceless animal who sadly lost their life as a result.
“The resident discovered the tiny kitten’s body in their garden the following morning and watched through the footage to find out how and when the kitten had come to be there.
“The footage shows the kitten coming very quickly into shot from over the fence, before hitting the hard pathway. Heartbreakingly, the kitten can then be seen struggling and kicking after hitting the floor.”
Cruelty rising amid cost-of-living crisis
Chief Inspector for the RSPCA in Wiltshire, John Atkinson, says animal cruelty is happening on a “massive scale” across England and Wales. And it’s rising.
“It is heartbreaking that we are seeing such sad figures which show animal cruelty is, very sadly, on the rise.”
The cost-of-living crisis is believed to be a factor in the worrying rise of deliberate harm to animals, with the cost of rescue at an all-time high.
Mr Atkinson said: “While we don’t know for certain why there has been an increase, the cost-of-living crisis and the post-pandemic world we live in has created an animal welfare crisis.”
Cats one of the UK's most popular pets but also among most abused
Cats are second most abused pet, after dogs, and reports tend to peak during the summer months.
But it’s not understood why figures rise during the current time of year.
Mr Atkinson said: “Each year, these reports reach its terrible annual peak in the summer months. The cost-of-living crisis also means the cost of rescuing animals is at an all-time high and our vital services are stretched to the limit.”