The RSPCA has reported that it received 134,537 calls about cats in 2018, which is equivalent to one call every four minutes.

Alice Potter, cat welfare expert at the RSPCA, said the charity’s dedicated team also rescued more cats than any other animal, which included vats stuck in tight spots, as well as cats that had been abandoned or neglected and abused.

Ms Potter said: “It’s sad to see that we have received so many calls about cats in need. Cats end up needing our help for a variety of reasons, for example, their natural curiosity can mean they need rescuing when they get into scrapes and tricky situations. There are also some real issues that we see time and again including cats and kittens being abandoned, cats having unplanned and unwanted pregnancies due to a lack of neutering and multi-cat households where breeding has sadly become out of control.

“However, there are many cats who are much luckier and are very much a part of the family. These lucky cats are loved by their owners who understand their likes and dislikes, their little quirks and routines.”