Covid-19 Delta outbreak: Cat crisis in Queenstown

QT Community Cats volunteers Eleanor Jones, Kaycee Brady and Fflur Jones looking after some week-old kittens. Photo / Mountain Scene

A Queenstown cat group swamped with unwanted kittens and abandoned cats believes Covid's to blame.

QT Community Cats reckons it's a combination of cats not been desexed during the lockdown and financial pressures.

''We had 11 kittens surrendered in one day [two weeks ago] and four more came in over the week, which is a record for us,'' GM Andrea Balona says.

Of 24 kittens it's currently caring for, 15 need syringe feeding every two hours with a special milk powder.

Local supplies have run out, so more's being couriered in from around the country.

The group's got about 20 vollies feeding kittens, in shifts, and also fostering them out and taking care of its cattery.

However, finding permanent homes is also getting more difficult.

Balona says if anyone needs financial help to desex their cats, her trust's receiving some funding from Central Lakes Trust, while they're also being well supported by local vets.

But she adds they'd still appreciate donations to help care for and feed abandoned and surrendered cats and kittens.

They can be contacted via qtcommunitycats.com or their Facebook page.

- Mountain Scene