New figures from the RSPCA have shown they receive more than 16,000 calls about cats in the North West.

And according to RSPCA data, our feline friends are one of the most neglected animals in the country.

Last year, the animal charity had 16,942 calls coming through to its cruelty line from the North West, which is almost one call every 30 minutes.

And out of those calls, 3,703 of them were taken from Lancashire, second only to Greater Manchester, which received 7,300 calls.

RSPCA’s cat welfare expert, Alice Potter, said: "It’s sad to see that we have received so many calls about cats in need.

"Cats end up needing our help for a variety of reasons, for example, their natural curiosity can mean they need rescuing when they get into scrapes and tricky situations.

"There are also some real issues that we see time and again including cats and kittens being abandoned, cats having unplanned and unwanted pregnancies due to a lack of neutering and multi-cat households where breeding has sadly become out of control.

"However, there are many cats who are much luckier and are very much a part of the family and loved by their owners who understand their likes and dislikes, their little quirks and routines."

Last year, across England and Wales, the RSPCA received more than 100,000 calls and rescued more cats than any other animal, whether this was moggies stuck in tight spots, to cats that had been abandoned or neglected and abused.

On International Cat Day (August 8), the charity is shining a light on the plight of cats and how people can help them.

For more information visit rspca.org.uk/adviceandwelfare/pets/cats/behaviour