The RSPCA South East has raised concerns over multi-cat households after 15 cats were seized from a local home in December.

While there are no laws against how many pets you can keep, the RSPCA are often notified when multi-pet households become a public nuisance or when there are concerns over animal welfare.

Rehoming manager for the RSPCA East Berkshire branch Lara Di Virgilio said: "Sadly, there are too often times when the RSPCA steps in with needing to rescue cats from households with tens, up to in their hundreds of cats living in unacceptable conditions with their owners. 

"The RSPCA East Berkshire branch has recently had several groups of cats to rehome from multi-cat households."

Owners of large multiple-cat households are encouraged to ensure all cats are neutered to avoid over-breeding, to potentially look to rehome some of them and to refrain from taking on any additional pets.

Pet owners should also ensure conditions in the home are tidy and hygienic.

Lara added: "There is a correlation. People who hoard items can also hoard pets. This is where the RSPCA are likely to be required to step in and remove the cats for their well-being.

When asked whether people should try and keep the number of cats down, Lara said: "Yes, a lot of the cats within a multicat household can be neglected.

"They are often not neutered so their numbers increase and it becomes a big welfare concern.

"The cats may not have access to proper nutrition, litter trays, human contact and vet care.

"The financial burden of owning so many cats exacerbates these conditions.  

"Even with the best will in the world, some owners can not provide adequate resources to look after so many animals responsibly.  

"Cats from multi-cat households can be difficult to rehome due to a lack of care and socialising experience."

To rescue a cat from the RSPCA visit rspca-eastberkshire.org.uk