Two kittens have been rescued from a colony living on a farm in Crowland after a plea from the volunteers who feed them.
The volunteers visited the Lincolnshire Free Press office after the recent spell of freezing weather because kittens were dying and they were having to bury them.
PJ Cat Rescue, of Long Sutton, visited the colony in a barn belonging to a retired farmer during the summer to try and rehome some of the cats.
But Phillip Newhouse, from the charity, said they were only able to take a few because after the story was published they became inundated with feral cats from across the district.
Mr Newhouse said: “Once people knew we took feral cats they kept bringing them in. We had 35 brought to us in 10 days.
“The rescue was also delayed because one of our fostering homes was quarantined after a cat was taken in with FIV (feline immunodeficiency virus).”
Following the plea from the volunteers who feed the cats and kittens on the farm, PJ Cat Rescue worked towards accommodating them – in spite of already being oversubscribed.
The charity has room for 70 cats, but is currently trying to rehome more than 100. Mr Newhouse said: “The volunteers caught them for us because we couldn’t get near them.
“They were very cold. We picked them up in the evening and it must have been below freezing. I got bone cold out there.
“But they are coming along fine and have already put on weight.
“We think they are about eight weeks old and one of them is male, although we haven’t been able to check yet. One of them is friendlier than the other but we are getting there –it usually helps when they have a full tummy.
“There is a long way through the rehoming process to go yet and they will be neutered. But they make fantastic pets.
“Of those we rehomed from the barn in the summer one remained feral but lives in a warm stable and is fed every day, another stays out in the day but likes to go in for food and cuddles and another spends all day indoors on its new owner’s knee watching TV.”
l Anyone interested in rehoming a kitten or a cat can call Janet Boujaama at PJ Cat Rescue on 01406 258221.