These are the faces that helped their owners through the loneliness of lockdown and its aftermath.
But all have now been handed in to shelters – because their cash-strapped families, hit by the cost-of-living crisis, can no longer afford them.
Battersea Dogs & Cats Home said that 148 cats have been surrendered to it ‘for financial reasons’ this year, double the number compared with 2021.
Many, it said, were lockdown pets and their owners had underestimated how much they would cost to care for.
Bridie Williams, Battersea’s rehoming and welfare manager, said: ‘People are concerned about rising living costs into the winter and fear that they won’t be able to afford to look after their beloved cat.
‘Often the owners are devastated and go through a grieving process because they are losing their cat. It’s a very emotional time for them.’
Battersea said it had not noticed a change in the number of dogs being handed to its shelter in South London.
Many of the cats that end up in its care are strays, but last year 5.9 per cent were from families who could no longer afford their pet.
