Cat food supplies were almost at a crisis level, SPCA executive officer Phil Soper said yesterday.
"We're using our reserve, which is normally for civil defence emergencies."
Although the number of animals at the Opoho facility between April 1 to June 30 had not grown, the number being adopted had dropped.
From April 1 to June 30 last year, it was able to house 52% of animals, while this year only 48% of animals were rehoused during that period.
The number of unhoused cats "blocking up" the shelter was putting a strain on their food supply, Mr Soper said.
When there were too many cats, the organisation had to put some cats down.
There were 54 cats for adoption at the shelter, with up to 20 sharing one room.
This compared with the usual 30 cats, with up to 12 cats to a room.
The main reason animals were brought to the shelter was their owners could not afford to look after them.
Though Mr Soper was glad pet owners were bringing their animals to the SPCA before their welfare was sacrificed, the SPCA needed to be a last resort, he said.
"We won't turn them away, but the chances of finding them a home is about 60-40. It's tough to keep them but even tougher to give them away."
A large problem was people buying pets without realising the costs involved, he said.
Having a dog cost about $1800 to $2000 annually, and a cat about $1200 annually.
This covered veterinary visits, registrations and unplanned occurrences such as illness or accidents.
People wanting to supply tinned cat food to the SPCA could put it in one of its drop bins at supermarkets.
- By Cerisse Denhardt
