What do we do about the "cat crisis"?
In Surrey alone, the RSPCA has rescued 384 cats so far this year.
Surrey's new vet school has teamed up with the RSPCA to tackle the UK's overpopulation of cats. The school hopes its students will lead the way in changing attitudes to early neutering.
More than 120 veterinary practices in Surrey have been invited to a training evening on December 2 to discuss a solution to the problem.
A panel of experts will attend, including the RSPCA's chief vet James Yeates, Surrey's Gail Anderson and representatives from regional RSPCA inspectorates and Cats Protection centres.
James said: "The idea behind the evening is both to share with vets in the area the problems we are facing with the overpopulation of cats, and provide a forum for us to discuss the best ways of dealing with it".
In Surrey alone, the RSPCA has rescued 384 cats so far this year. This is up from 260 in the same period last year. Across England and Wales as a whole, the charity has rescued 30,205 cats compared to 27,840 in 2013.
James Yeates said he hopes the training evening will become "the launchpad for finding a solution in Surrey".
"Last year was horrendous in terms of the number of cats which were abandoned. They were left in boxes outside our shops, by rubbish bins, in woodland and all kinds of places - it was heartbreaking."
Recent research found that 85 per cent of litters are unplanned. The RSPCA believes this is because too few owners realise cats can get pregnant from four months of age.
Professor Anderson, head of veterinary education at Surrey vet school said: "By highlighting the advantages of early age neutering for cats we can address the problem of unwanted 'teen pregnancies' in cats that add so much to the problem.
"We want our vet students to be leaders in changing the attitude to early neutering so it becomes the norm for the profession".
The event will be held at the University of Surrey in Guildford. It costs £20 a head, including refreshments, and will count as CPD certification. Contact the university's Julia Gerhold on jgerhold@surrey.ac.uk for information about attending.
Two independent vets have launched a podcast to help owners strengthen their bond with pets. Dr Maggie Roberts and Dr Vanessa Howie, who have worked in both veterinary practice and major charities, are keen to use their experience to enable people to give pets a better life.
