Coronavirus: Birmingham cat rescue reports 'kittens galore'

This kitten, about five to six weeks old, is now "thriving", but still "nowhere near ready" to be given a new home, the group said

Restrictions on vets practising has led to a boom in cats, a rescue group has said.

Birmingham's Kings Heath Cat Club Rescue said it had about three times the number of kittens it would expect.

Vets have been open during lockdown, but have been advised to suspend routine procedures such as neutering.

The Kings Heath group, which takes on abandoned cats and feral animals among others, said the recent warm weather had also not helped.

It said street cats were more likely to mingle during good weather, resulting in more pregnancies.

It said while this was "kitten season", 2020 had been "insane".

Volunteers are currently caring for 108 cats, compared with about 60 in more normal times. It is hoped these will ultimately be found new homes.

The group said it had an emergency on Sunday night when it was asked to take in six kittens, including this eight-week-old, who would need "a lot of care"

Care co-ordinator and head of fundraising Danni Clews said as the organisation was deemed high-risk due to the number of animals it cared for, it had been able to access neutering procedures.

She said the founder Alison O'Leary had been making two trips four times weekly to a Walsall vets.

In all, 70 animals have been neutered during the pandemic, about double those done by the group for the preceding three months.