Watch: Yorkshire charity urges pet owners to make plans for their cats after '˜staggering' rise in emergency cases

Cleo and Caesar were taken in by Yorkshire Cat Rescue as an emergency case after their elderly owner, who had dementia, lost her tenancy and was unable to care for them.

The animals, who had faced being put to sleep, were “terrified” when they were first taken in by one of the charity’s foster carers. It is urging people to take simple steps to plan for their cats.

The number of cats currently waiting to be taken in and re-homed by Yorkshire Cat Rescue now stands at a “staggering” 750. Of those, 50 per cent are emergency cases from households where the owner has either passed away, been taken seriously ill or urgently gone into care.

Sara Atkinson, founder of Keighley-based Yorkshire Cat Rescue said: “We increasingly receive calls from family members, neighbours and vets about cats that have been left behind after their owner died or had to go into care at short notice. The cats’ situations are urgent and, in some cases, their life is at stake. But with limited space at the centre and a waiting list that is already glowing red, we are struggling to help them all.

“If people have made a specific reference to Yorkshire Cat Rescue in their Will, we will take immediate and full responsibility for their cats – including paying for any necessary medical care, neutering, vaccination and other associated costs before finding them a new home. Sadly, only the minority of owners have so far taken that step.”

In the case of Cleo and Caesar, the transition to foster care was made easier after the owner left clear instructions about their likes and dislikes and medical treatment they were on.

Their owner had dementia and although her health deteriorated gradually, she hadn’t made any plans for Caesar or Cleo in case she would need to go into care.

Luckily, her neighbour was aware of the situation and knowing she owned two cats, had been nipping in daily to feed them.

But when the woman’s landlord ended her tenancy and suggested the cats were euthanised, the charity was asked to help - and stepped in despite being full.

Ms Atkinson said: “Caesar and Cleo’s neighbour was clearly both kind and caring – feeding the pair for eight weeks during which time no one from the owner’s family came forward to take over,” she said.

“When we got the call, we decided to make an emergency exception to prevent these otherwise healthy cats being put to sleep, despite already being full to breaking point. Luckily one of our foster carers was able to provide a temporary home for Caesar and Cleo.”

Nicola Slator was that foster carer. She remembers how scared the cats were all too well. “When I first welcomed Caesar and Cleo into my home, they were terrified,” she said. “They had essentially lost their owner and were facing a big change. Luckily, the lady who cared for cats and knew their owner wrote a note to Yorkshire Cat Rescue with details of medical treatments, their likes, dislikes and which food they had been fed so I was able to make them feel at home fairly quickly.

“Within days, they became the most loveable and friendliest cats, and I’m so extremely happy to know that they weren’t euthanised.”

Sian Thompson, head of Wills at law firm Simpson Millar, said: “Although every other household in the nation owns a pet and even though including them in a Will is very straight-forward, the number of people who actually do so is extremely low.

“Animal-loving friends and relatives are not always the best option despite what people might think. Leaving a cat to a rescue charity puts the task of securing their future into the hands of an organisation that breaths animal welfare, and are experienced in finding them a new home. It is, however, important to let that chosen charity know if you have named them in your Will; talk to them about what you’d like to happen and how they might be able to help in the case of an emergency.”

Ms Atkinson added: “It helps enormously when we know that Yorkshire Cat Rescue has been named in a Will. We can then make sure our records are up to date and that everyone knows to step in quickly if we get a call about a particular cat or home.”

Yorkshire Cat Rescue has designed a poster, which can be downloaded from its website called ‘I own a cat’.

“It helps communicate how many cats live in the home, who should be contacted in case of emergency, the cats’ basic likes and dislikes and more,” Ms Atkinson said. “It doesn’t take long to complete but it would make a huge difference should anything unexpected happen – both for the cats and for those who are around to help.”