MORE pets are being abandoned because because of the rising cost of living, Oxfordshire animal rescue centres said.

High costs and families moving into smaller homes were putting unprecedented pressure on spaces, they said.

Oxfordshire Animal Sanctuary, in Stadhampton, is bursting at the seams with nearly 200 cats and 100 dogs.

And staff have a waiting list for people wanting them to take on pets.

Manager Ron Heath said the centre was finding new homes for 93 per cent of animals from September 2009 to March 2010, but since last September this had dropped to 70 per cent.

He said: “I think the financial climate is playing a huge part in the problem.

“We find people are telling us that they have had to move into rented accommodation and are not allowed to keep their pets.

“However, the main reason seems to be that people simply cannot afford the upkeep of their animal anymore.”

He said: “We even get emails from other sanctuaries in the area asking us to take dogs from them as they are in the same situation.

“The cat side is even worse, we have 80 more cats than we did this time last year.

“That is more cats than we have ever had here and we are finding it nearly impossible to rehome them.”

The sanctuary is also looking after 35 rabbits and eight guinea pigs. Staff member Natalie Fishlock-Gibbs said: “There is always a constant flow of animals coming in, especially dogs.”

West Oxford Animal Rescue chairman Janet Heath said: “I think that the figure is rising for two reasons.

“Firstly, people cannot afford the vet bills and upkeep of their pets, and secondly the new bin removal system in Oxfordshire means that there is a problem with disposal of waste such as cat litter, hay and straw from hutches or cages.”

She said a £35 annual charge to collect garden waste, set to hit city residents from April, has also hit pet ownership.

She said: “A lot of people have said to me that they are not prepared to pay it.

“With the rising costs of just about everything today, people cannot afford to get their animals neutered and of course this creates a further problem.

“The most common animal needing rehoming are rabbits, people buy these as cute little pets and aren’t prepared for them getting bigger and chewing through the electrical wiring in their houses.”

Call The Oxfordshire Animal Sanctuary on 01865 890239 and the West Oxford Animal Rescue on 01865 438128.