A pet rescue centre has had to take in a staggering 28 cats from one visit.

Mann Car Sanctuary says staff were contacted by a mental health nurse who said a woman she cared for could no longer look after her cats.

She estimated there were 10-15 but when staff arrived they realised there were considerably more.

Posting on Facebook, the charity said: ‘We have had a very, very busy week!

‘Earlier in the week we were contacted by a mental health nurse who explained that a lady she cared for had got into difficulty with her cats and the situation was out of hand.

‘With what started as the lady having one unspayed female, a full tom cat managed to get in through the window and cause the female to have a litter. Things very quickly escalated and the lady was unable to cope with the situation and so in the best interests of her and the cats we agreed to take them.

‘The estimated number we were given was between 10-15 cats and kittens. When we arrived at the property however, it was clear that this number was very different and the final number was a staggering 28!

‘With some doubling up in baskets we managed to take all the cats and kittens at once, with the vast majority being between two to three months old.

‘We must say that all of them are in very good condition and we will be looking to home the kittens once they have been neutered and spayed which obviously is going to be a mammoth job at huge expense.’

Mann Cat Sanctuary says that while this is the biggest single case they have dealt with, the is a growing issue with pet owners struggling financially.

The post says: ‘This is by far our biggest rescue from one single household and sadly from what we are hearing we believe there are more situations like this.

‘We are seeing a vicious circle of cats or kittens being given to people who can't afford to have them spayed and then, once the cats are pregnant and have kittens, they are either being passed on to other people who similarly can't afford to look after them or the kittens are just remaining in the house allowing further breeding to happen. 

‘As well as this, we have taken on another five cats from one property and one of the two females is pregnant having lived with three full males. They came in with fleas and so we have started them on treatment but their skin at the moment is very scabby.

‘Finally, three cats have come in as their owner is moving off island.

‘With another feral cat here which is heavily pregnant and two injured ferals which we rescued and who are receiving treatment, we are nearing on fifty cats that have come in within the last two weeks with almost all of them not neutered or spayed.’

Anyone wishing to donate to Mann  Cat Sanctuary can visit the website at www.manncat.com/donate.