Blue Cross believes the rise is fuelled by the ongoing cost of living crisis, with some owners avoiding vet fees for neutering, while others may be breeding kittens to sell but are unable to find buyers. Kellie Brooks, centre manager at Blue Cross in Hertfordshire, said: "I have worked in pet rescue for over 20 years and I have never seen kittens coming in for help on a scale like this. "Almost every week we are being brought boxes and carrier bags filled with kittens that have been discovered by members of the public. Over the first half of this year, the Hertfordshire centre has already taken in 45 kittens, matching the total for the whole of 2023. Among the recent arrivals were Jimmy, Jack and Joe—three kittens believed to be around six weeks old—who were abandoned in a box at the centre.