A kitten sanctuary in Dartford has said it has become a “dumping ground” as it struggles to cope with the number of kittens left on its doorstep.

Bow Lodge Babies Cat Rescue had “closed doors” to fostering new kittens because it had become inundated with felines to look after.

In a Facebook post, the rescue centre said the influx of cats was “never ending” and urged people to spread the word about the cats that needed rehoming to “take the pressure off.”

Another post warned: “you will see rescues close because of people having no consideration of the pressure they are causing by being irresponsible,” as the centre urged people to neuter their cats.

Speaking to News Shopper, Laura – who runs the centre with her friend Sarah – said: “We call this time of year ‘kitten season’. It normally starts in April and goes through until about October.

“That’s when all the feeding mums dumped by owners are sent to us.”

So far this ‘kitten season’, Bow Lodge has seen dozens of mothers and kittens sent in or left on their site – and some have arrived in horrible conditions.

“Some kittens are riddled with fleas and worms. Because their immune system is so low, fleas can actually kill a kitten.

“We have had some really bad cases,” Laura said.

Many of the felines sent to Bow Lodge have been found dumped elsewhere, and are given to the sanctuary to bring them back to health.

“One man who got in touch with us had a box of kittens dumped in his garden,” Laura told News Shopper.

“It just seems to get worse and worse. We keep saying there will be a few days when we will get a break, but then the next lot comes in.”

As Bow Lodge tries to cope with the number of cats and kittens sent in to them, Laura said the job is “financially and emotionally draining.”

Although the rescue centre is struggling, Laura and Sarah say there is a simple way to solve the problem – spaying your cats.

If you want to make a donation to Bow Lodge, you can contact them via their Facebook page.