Yorkshire cat cruelty cases on the rise - RSPCA

The number of reports of cruelty against cats in Yorkshire rose by nearly 12% in the last year, according to the RSPCA.

The charity said that in 2022, there were 2,112 cases of cat cruelty reported across Yorkshire, compared to 1,886 in 2021 - a rise of 11.9%.

West Yorkshire saw the biggest rise, but South, East and North Yorkshire also saw increases.

The RSPCA described its latest cruelty statistics as "heartbreaking".

According to the charity, there were 1,032 reports of cat cruelty in West Yorkshire last year, up from 887 the previous year.

Meanwhile, there were 518 reports in South Yorkshire, 303 in North Yorkshire and 259 in East Yorkshire - all up on the statistics from 2021.

The figures have been published as part of the RSPCA's Cancel Out Cruelty campaign, which aims to raise funds to help front-line staff "save animals from cruelty and abuse".

The charity said reports of animal cruelty - defined as abandonment, neglect, intentional harm and animals left unattended - peaked in the summer months, with three reports made every single minute.

Nationally, incidents of intentional harm against cats rose by 25% between 2021-22, according to the RSPCA.

In once case in Huddersfield last year, a dead cat was found at the side of a canal, with concerns someone had tried to drown it, the RSPCA said.

Animal rescue officer Emmeline Myall said: "It is really concerning how the cat ended up there. The thought of somebody doing this to this poor cat is unimaginable."

Elsewhere, in Sheffield, a kitten with two broken legs was found wrapped in carpet and left dumped among household rubbish, while another two cats were found abandoned in a builder's bag in Leeds during a spell of hot weather.

Beth Clements, RSPCA chief inspector for West Yorkshire, 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.

"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."

Dr Sam Gaines, head of the RSPCA's companion animal department, added: "Cats are one of the most popular pets in the UK with an estimated 11 million pet cats in UK homes, but our figures suggest sadly they are the second most abused pet - after dogs. 

"It is heartbreaking to think that five cats every day are suffering at the hands of humans - it really is appalling."

"We see hundreds of felines come through our doors every year who have been subjected to unimaginable cruelty - being beaten, burned, thrown around, had bones broken, been shot at, poisoned and drowned," Dr Gaines added.

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