Animal rescue groups say warmer weather could see more cats killed or seriously injured as many step out of lockdown onto busy streets.

Natasha McPhee, of Gillingham-based Animals Lost and Found In Kent, is called out to rescue people's domestic pets which have either been lost or hit on roads across the county.

The pet rescue service also provides a lifeline for feline friends who stray too far from their homes.

But while the lockdown is helping save human lives during the pandemic there are fears its phased lifting is increasing the odds of cats being struck by cars and vans.

Miss McPhee, who runs the Medway charity alongside Dee Potter, says while she has not seen a steep rise in accidents during this period she predicts the curious critters will now be flocking to the streets in their numbers.

"People are not staying indoors," she said. The same is true for cats, many of which, she adds, will now be thinking with the hotter weather "I'm not staying indoors, I'm going out".

To make matters worse, spring has brought the feline breeding period, dubbed the "kitty season", which means numbers of the furry felines are likely to increase.

Although Miss McPhee says this seasonal trend is nothing new, combined with the returning of many vehicles on the roads she said it could pose serious challenges for organisations like hers.

The animal rescue group had been unable to get out during large parts of the lockdown due to strict social distancing rules on attending homes and travelling long distances.

Another concern had been fears animals could contract the virus and pass it on to humans but Miss McPhee says these "fake news" stories had been dismissed before seeing any effects on people's behaviour.

Despite this, she says they have to be careful about animals who have been coughed on and they must still wear gloves and protective equipment when dealing with lost pets.

Since the partial lifting of the lockdown last month the group has consulted with insurers to see what work it can safely return to.

"We have been going out but we did a risk assessment and narrowed it down to just deceased animals," she said.

"We have been going out but we did a risk assessment and narrowed it down to just deceased animals"

Yesterday morning the group received a report about a dead cat along Pier Road in Gillingham.

"We attended as soon as we could and checked the cat for a chip," they said.

"Thankfully he was chipped and his name was Jackpot, a beautiful black cat that had been missing for around eight months. He was only a few roads away from where he went missing."

The group offers a free microchip check to all animals which have been found in the area whether deceased or alive.

This is something Miss McPhee says is crucial to reuniting pets with their owners but while tagging is a legal requirement for dogs it is not for cats.

MP for Gillingham and Rainham Rehman Chishti initially put forward the Cats Bill two years ago calling for the compulsory microchipping of cats, as well as the requirement to report a road traffic accident resulting in the injury or death of a cat.

But the Bill failed to complete its passage through Parliament before the end of the session which meant it made no further progress.

Then Environment Secretary Theresa Villier launched a call for evidence on cat microchipping in October last year but the coronavirus has halted any further progression of talks on the matter.

Meanwhile Miss McPhee heaped praise on organisations operating to protect vulnerable animals throughout lockdown, such as the RSPCA.

"They have been really good during lockdown," she said. "We really can't praise them enough."

Since the start of lockdown, there have been 6,630 incidents reported to the charity’s hotline about cats with 176 incidents reported in Kent.

This includes a cat who was found trapped inside a shed in Rochester on May 4, which had collapsed and was suffering with symptoms similar to poisoning.

Luckily, the cat had a microchip and an inspector was able to rush her to a local vet which then contacted her owner.

The much-loved pet, whose name is Boots, had been missing for more than a year

Boots made a remarkably speedy recovery and has since been returned home to his loving family.

Inspector Emma Byrne said: “Poor Boots was in a really sorry state when she was found, but luckily, we rescued her just in time.

"I am so relieved that she not only made a great recovery, but was reunited with her family too.

"It’s a wonderful part of my job to be able to help animals find their happy ending after a tough time.”

However, other furry felines have not been as fortunate, including one kitten who was found abandoned in a box outside the front door of the Cinque Ports Veterinary Surgery, in Station Road, Lydd.

The tiny kitten, who is called Cabbage and is thought to be only eight to nine weeks old, had a broken front leg and was suffering with cat flu and worms.

He was taken to the charity's Putney animal hospital for an operation, where following an examination by the vets a decision was taken to amputate his leg as it was felt to be the best option for the kitten.

Vets contacted the RSPCA's Kent, Ashford, Tenterden and District branch which agreed to take the kitten once well enough.

The charity is currently caring for 1,013 cats as of May 13 which is more than any other pet in its care, including 48 cats at RSPCA Leybourne Animal Centre in West Malling.

To report cruelty, neglect or an animal in distress call 0300 1234999.

More information on Animals Lost and Found In Kent can be found here.

Escaped animals, unusual finds and news from the RSPCA can all be found here.

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