The RSPCA Oxfordshire and Reading Branch is bursting at the seams. We currently have 71 animals in our care, the highest number we have had for a long time, including 30 kittens and 5 baby rabbits. Every one of them needs food, shelter, veterinary care, and plenty of love while they wait for the right home.
What we are seeing locally
This has been one of the busiest kitten seasons we can remember. Litter after litter is coming through our doors, and demand for our help is not letting up. It is the reason we now rely so heavily on our incredible volunteers and on the fantastic team at Woodstock Boarding Cattery, who help us care for cats we simply do not have the space for ourselves.
We have offered neutering vouchers for years, alongside many other charities, to try to bring the number of unwanted litters down. Yet every year we see more kittens needing rescue, not fewer. On the ground, it means longer waits, fuller pens, and a team working flat out to keep every animal healthy and cared for.
The bigger picture
What we are experiencing is not happening in isolation. Rescue charities across the country are reporting the same pressure, and 2026 is shaping up to be one of the hardest years on record for cats and kittens.
Two things are driving it. The first is the cost of living. As household budgets tighten, more people are struggling to afford veterinary bills, food, and the cost of neutering, and sadly more animals are being given up or abandoned as a result.
The second is a neutering backlog that traces back to the pandemic, when routine neutering was paused. Cats breed quickly, and it only takes a small number of unneutered animals to produce a great many kittens. Charities estimate that well over a million owned cats in the UK are still not neutered, which is why numbers keep climbing.
The result is rescue centres that are full to bursting, with more and more cats being cared for in paid boarding at significant cost simply because there is no room left. That is exactly the position we find ourselves in.
Why it matters for our branch
We are a self-funded local charity. We receive no funding from national RSPCA headquarters, so the cost of feeding, housing, and treating 71 animals falls to us and to the community that supports us. When numbers are this high, and when we are paying for boarding on top of our own care, the strain is real.
Every animal that comes to us deserves the very best care we can give. With your help, that is exactly what they will get.
How you can help
There are four simple ways to make a difference right now:
- Donate to help cover food, veterinary care, and boarding costs.
- Adopt when the time is right for you and give an animal a fresh start.
- Foster and open up much-needed space in our care.
- Share our posts so more people can find our animals and our appeals.
Thank you to everyone who continues to stand behind our branch. Together, we can make sure every one of these 71 animals gets the care and the second chance they deserve.
