Unwanted Yorkshire cats sent to London Published duration 13 February 2018

image copyright BDCH image caption Battersea Dogs and Cats Home said there was an increased demand in London for cats

Unwanted cats in Yorkshire are being sent to London where there is higher demand for pet moggies.

The scheme, run by Yorkshire Cat Rescue and Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, saw more than 100 cats sent south in 2017.

Yorkshire Cat Rescue said it was not sure why the county had a surplus but urged owners to neuter their pets.

The charity, based in Keighley, West Yorkshire, said the scheme had been a "brilliant partnership" between the two organisations.

Founder Sara Atkinson said: "We send cats over the winter months, around 10-15 every two to three weeks.

"All the cats are deemed suitable for re-homing there: not strays, very friendly and health checked."

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Why demand for cats in the south is so high is not clear but Rob Young, head of catteries at Battersea, said he believed it was partially due to the popularity of the Downing Street and Foreign Office cats, Larry and Palmerston.

image copyright BDCH

"Thanks to the likes of Larry and Palmerston, more and more people are coming to our rescue centre in search of their new feline friend, and we're finding that we don't always have enough cats to meet our customers' demand.

"While it is not true for all cats, many moggies are happy to be left for periods of time and many potential pet owners are choosing cats because they fit in well with the city lifestyle."

Ms Atkinson said when adopting a cat people should consider getting an adult rather than a kitten.

"The character of the adult is already known whereas kittens are still developing," she said.