A WORRYING rise in “feral cats” has seen a charity neuter 100 stray felines roaming the streets of an industrial estate in just a matter of weeks.

Tilly’s Angels, a charity who find and rehome missing and stray cats, has revealed it is battling against a “massive increase in stray cats and kittens” in Southend and Rochford – particularly around the Purdey’s Industrial Estate near Sutton Road.

Helene Leader, founder of Tilly’s Angels, set up a base for the charity at the industrial estate in March and has already neutered 100 stray cats.

The charity founder also warned that the situation could be becoming worse because residents are feeding cats roaming the streets, encouraging them to return to the area.

Amid the surge in stray and missing cats, Helene is urging cat owners to ensure their pets are chipped, neutered and ensure they keep a close eye on their cats.

Ms Leader said: “We are in kitten season, so this is the absolute worst time, at the Purdey’s estate there are loads of feral cats and they are breeding all over the place.

“We have dealt with about 80 to 100 feral cats there, the rescues are full to the brim and cannot take any more, so they often must be relocated to farms and smallholdings.

“We still ask them to take them but there is no room for them, before where we could guarantee we could rehome a stray, there is now nowhere for them.

“When we find an injured cat, we just must release them as there is nowhere for them to go and the vet can only give them a very limited amount of treatment.

“It is a problem, and it is become a real issue, the kind you see in Italy and Greece where we have a stray cat issue.”

Ms Leader has also noted a particular increase in missing cats around the Southchurch area, which could likely be linked to the rise in strays, as male cats breed and abandon their owners.

Contact the charity through the “Tilly’s Angels” Facebook page for further advice.