The twelve strays of Christmas

DO you have room at the inn for 12 stray animals that are among a record number of rescued cats searching for homes at a Plymouth charity this Christmas?

- By JANET KING

Woodside Animal Welfare Sanctuary, on the edge of Plympton, is experiencing its busiest winter on record for rescued cats, with more than 100 onsite.

An unusually high number of these animals are strays, including several cats in need of a barn/stable-type home, a Guinea Pig found walking the coast path and a mum and her kittens rescued from farmland.

Woodside manager Lisa Darcy said: "We don't normally have a waiting list for cats at this time of year. However, we have a long waiting list for cats, rabbits, guinea pigs, dogs and rodents this year and that is becoming a new norm. We've never known it this bad."

Among 27 small furries searching for a loving home is Pickles, a sweet Guinea Pig found wandering the South West Coast Path. Assistant supervisor Claire Newcombe said: "It's unusual to find a stray Guinea Pig. They don't normally escape or dig and don't jump that high. They wouldn't survive for long in the wild."

But it's in the catteries where the charity is feeling unprecedented pressure, with all enclosures full and a growing waiting list of around 70 cats.