A trickle of kittens is turning into a flood as the onset of summer sees more unwanted litters left on the doorstep of Tauranga SPCA.
More than 100 abandoned kittens are in temporary foster care until they are old enough to come back to the SPCA to join the 50
others waiting for loving families to give them a home and shelter.
SPCA administrator Hannah Cobb said the onset of warm weather was the signal for cats to start having litters - with some cats having as many as three in one season.
"Usually it's a case of the owners of cats not wanting their cat to have kittens and then saying, 'what do I do now'?"
Ms Cobb said the numbers of kittens was up a little on the same time last year, with the first unwanted Christmas presents now adding to the pressure on the SPCA's facilities at Greerton.