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Rescue teams find more than 100 animals at individual addresses in some of the most extreme cases
RSPCA rescue teams are grappling with a rising number of cases where dozens of animals are found at a single address. Last year there were a total of 65 multi-animal incidents (involving 10 or more animals) in Cambridgeshire and this year there have already been 61 incidents between January and August.
In 2025, RSPCA frontline officers responded to more than 4,200 incidents across England and Wales – equivalent to 355 a month or almost 12 every day. Many of the animals rescued from these homes have behavioral and medical needs, which means they must go through rehabilitation before they can be rehomed.
Now the RSPCA is calling for all experienced and patient pet owners in Cambridgeshire to help by rehoming and fostering.
At the RSPCA Block Fen Animal Center in Wimbington, two domestic shorthair cats Arthur and Tizzy are on the hunt for their forever homes – having previously lived in a multi-cat household. One-year-old Arthur is described by the charity as a “sensitive young cat” who has “really started to come out of his shell”.
Tizzy is about two years old and is described as “a gentle girl who is still learning that people are not as scary as she thinks”. In addition, the dogs Lulu, Marlon and Posy are also looking for adopters.
Lulu, a six-year-old Shar-Pei is the “Long Stay Resident” of the charity, which is still waiting for the perfect family. She is described as a “fun, active girl”. Posy and Marlon are a pair of four-year-old chihuahuas who are described as “best friends” and are looking for a home where they can stay together.
Chief Executive for the RSPCA Jo Rowland, said: “We are struggling and we need urgent help. Our frontline officers are finding dozens, even hundreds of animals in need at individual addresses. We are getting amazing support from other animal charities and our brilliant network of RSPCA branches but we are all under immense pressure.
“Animals that have come from homes like this often have behavioral and medical needs due to the environment they have lived in and need a little more care and understanding. We need to get pets out of our centers and into loving homes so we can continue to rescue.”
The charity said rising levels of multi-animal cases are putting “unprecedented pressure” on its teams and volunteers.
Cases of large numbers of animals kept at one address may be linked to mental health struggles, cost of living crises or breeders operating with poor practices, according to the charity. RSPCA experts claim that initially well-meaning individuals can see situations “spiral out of control”.
Chief Executive Rowland added: “Hoarding incidents are just one of the ways in which these situations occur – some multi-animal incidents involve breeders or people can be inadvertently overwhelmed by not neutering early enough. In many cases the best way is to offer advice and support such as neutering and rehoming some of the animals so they are at more manageable levels.
“We encourage people to contact an animal shelter if they are in a phase where they, or someone they know, is struggling with the number of animals they have in their household. The sooner action is taken, the better for animals and people.”
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