Strict vetting by a cat and kitten charity has ensured more pets find suitable new homes.

Yorkshire Cat Rescue founder Sara Atkinson said the group’s match-making policy had seen the return rate for cats that didn't settle in fall from 4.7 per cent in 2010 to 2.8 per cent in 2013.

She said: “We treasure every person who visits with a view to adopting a cat or kitten so take the responsibility of finding them the right companion extremely seriously.

“As a starting point, we try and find our adult cats a home that resembles their previous one.

“We never re-home an adult female cat to a home where there is already one or more adult females. It almost never ends well.

“The well-being of existing household pets should always take precedence, no matter how dearly people wish to help. So for people with adult females, a male tom cat or a kitten of either gender would be better.”

She said people seeking a cat from the charity’s Cross Roads shelter should ask staff about the pets to make sure they get the cat most suited to their home.