Four times more cats than dogs were rescued by the RSPCA last year, including 267 in Dorset alone.

As the charity continues its month-long rehoming drive Adoptober, new figures show that inspectors rescued 22,000 felines from inadequate homes across the country in 2018. This compares to 5,930 dogs and is more than any other animal nationally.

Cat welfare expert Alice Potter said: “Sadly we do know that cats are an extremely misunderstood pet and can often find themselves the victims of poor care. They can be involved in air gun attacks as well as poisonings, both deliberate and accidental, and just like dogs can suffer from over-breeding and over-population. The number of cats we are rescuing is now equivalent to 60 per day."

Last year, the charity took 150,000 calls from worried members of the public reporting the cruelty of these animals. The week of October 14 to October 20 is dedicated to raising awareness of cats in need, part of the RSPCA's adoption campaign.

Raising the rates of neutering is thought to be the answer to a lot of the problems relating to cats in the UK.

"We are calling for owners to neuter their cats at around four months old, rather than six months," Alice said. "This can greatly reduce the risk of them getting pregnant and owners being stuck with an unwanted litter."

Most cats are born between June and September, known as kitten season, and it is throughout July that the RSPCA sees the most felines coming into their centres. Litters are usually made up of three to five kittens.

Alice added: “If you are thinking of taking on an animal we would always urge people to look into adopting a rescue pet, as our centres are full of loving cats of all shapes and sizes looking for forever homes.”

A total of 152 cats were rehomed in Dorset last year. Many are looked after at Taylor's Rehoming Centre, situated in the grounds of Kingston Mauward College. The branch also works to rehome other small animals including rabbits, rats, and chinchillas.

All cats and kittens adopted from the RSPCA will come microchipped, vaccinated, and neutered where possible. If you are interested in giving a rescue cat a new home, visit www.rspca.org.uk/findapet