RSPCA dealt with 1,072 reports of cat cruelty in Wales last year, new figures show

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) released alarming figures today showing a substantial increase in reports of cat cruelty in Wales.

As part of its ‘Cancel Out Cruelty’ campaign, the RSPCA revealed that 1,072 such complaints were made in Wales last year alone.

Across England and Wales, nearly 18,000 cat cruelty complaints were lodged with the RSPCA in 2022, marking a significant rise in intentional harm incidents.

Such incidents, which climbed to 1,726 from 1,387 in the previous year, represent an alarming 25% increase.

In Wales, intentional harm incidents accounted for 89 of the 1,072 cat cruelty reports, with a staggering 600 complaints linked to neglect. The numbers paint a grim picture of the animal welfare crisis in the country.

The cost-of-living crisis is also thought to be a contributing factor to an increase in deliberate harm to animals at a time when the cost of rescuing animals is at an all-time high and the RSPCA’s vital services are stretched to the limit.

Dr Sam Gaines, head of the RSPCA’s companion animal department, expressed her dismay at these shocking figures.

“It’s heartbreaking to think that five cats every day are suffering at the hands of humans,” she lamented. She outlined various forms of abuse, including physical violence, poisoning, and abandonment, with perpetrators often being the pet’s owners.

Elaine Spence, one of the three chief inspectors in Wales, said: “Right now, animal cruelty is happening across Wales on a massive scale and rising. It is heartbreaking that we are seeing such sad figures which show animal cruelty is, very sadly, on the rise.

“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 – when an animal is beaten on average every hour of every day. 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.”

“Together, we believe we can and will cancel out cruelty to animals by replacing violence with kindness. We are urging people to donate to our Cancel Out Cruelty campaign,every donation will help animals.”