Unwanted kittens are becoming a problem in Melton, with an animal welfare service being inundated with calls to collect litters.
The Western Suburbs Cat and Kitten Rescue group collected 16 kittens in Melton and Brimbank last week – a sign that ‘kitten season’ has begun.
Spokesman Nathan Miles said the message to de-sex animals was not getting through.
“In previous years we had kittens thrown from a car,” he said.
“It’s constant. People don’t do the right thing and the animals suffer.”
Mr Miles said the group found new homes for about 300 cats and dogs last year, including more than 20 kittens in the week before Christmas.
“A lot of people still don’t de-sex their kittens,” he said.
“I’d estimate that however many cats are registered with councils, there are three times as many unregistered.”
Melton council bylaws state all cats must be de-sexed, microchipped and registered.
Figures show 3272 cats registered in Melton – down from 3719 last year.
