A boom in West Yorkshire’s kitten trade could see more breeders put profits before welfare amid cruelty fears.

New figures from the RSPCA suggest seven cats a day suffer at the hands of humans - and this is expected to rise in summer.

In just six years, there were 16,212 incidents of deliberate cruelty towards cats reported to the animal welfare charity.

Abandonments, poisonings, shootings, beating, neglect and mutilation were among the complaints.

Meanwhile, in 2021 alone, there were 1,387 reports of intentional harm to cats and this peaked during the months of July and August.

David Bowles, head of public affairs at the RSPCA, said: “The demand for pets soared during the pandemic meaning backstreet kitten breeders have been able to make more money out of flogging pets online.

“We normally see a rise in kittens being sold at this time of year and coupled with the cost of living crisis, sadly we could see a boom in the kitten trade this year.

“If you are considering buying a kitten, we would urge people to use the Kitten Checklist.”

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Sam Watson, cat welfare expert at the RSPCA, added: “Hundreds of animals that come through our doors every year who have been subjected to unimaginable cruelty.”

People can access the Kitten Checklist by visiting rspca.org.uk/adviceandwelfare/pets/cats/kittens

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