FOR years, Lucie had a loving home until she reached 18 and was cruelly abandoned. Unfortunately, she is not the only cat to have been dumped in such circumstances, leaving an animal shelter in crisis.

Bleakholt Animal Sanctuary is making a desperate appeal for cat lovers to come forward and adopt a feline friend.

And that could benefit Lucie, pictured with Becky Fitton, cat care assistant.

The cattery at the Edenfield shelter is at bursting point after they have been forced to take in dozens of abandoned cats.

Manager Neil Martin told the Bury Times: "We are looking after 250 cats but realistically, we should not be going beyond 200.

"The number is very worrying but not as worrying as the composition of the cats. Out of the 250, approximately 150 of them are over eight years of age. It is tragic that these cats have given their owners their best years, only to find themselves homeless in their later years."

Mr Martin said people are quick to abandon an animal if there is a problem, instead of overcoming it.

He said: "For example, a family member, usually a parent, dies and relatives are reluctant to take the family cat on. Instead, it is cleared out with the rest of house.

The situation has become so bad that the sanctuary is being forced to turn away cats in genuine need.

Mr Martin said: "A lady contacted us about a cat which had been left behind in the house she had moved into. She already had a cat and would have kept both but the abandoned cat bullied hers. We had to give her the number for another shelter because we are full with cats, many with an alternative to being here."

All the cats at the sanctuary are vaccinated, wormed, de-flead and neutered. Anyone wishing to adopt a cat, particularly the older ones, should contact Bleakholt on 01706 822577 or visit the shelter. The sanctuary is open between 10am and 4pm every day including bank holidays and weekends.