DICK Whittington’s cat isn’t the only moggy heading for London - thanks to a Keighley animal charity.

Yorkshire Cat Rescue is sending unwanted Keighley felines to the famous Battersea Dogs and Cats Home.

The cats are snapped up within days by animal-loving Londoners desperate to give a new loving home to the creatures.

The Cross Roads-based charity answered a nationwide plea from Battersea to help tackle a shortage of cats available for adoption in the capital.

Yorkshire Cat Rescue spokesman Sara Atkinson said the partnership was helping the charity reduce its long waiting list of cats waiting for rehoming.

She said: “We get so many requests that we can’t help everyone – we usually have about 200 cats on our waiting list.

“Battersea’s homing philosophy is very much like ours. They won’t put a healthy cat to sleep, and want to find the right home for each animal.

“Battersea said we could have seven to ten cat pens a month. We took ten down in March and another 13 last week. Half have been homed already.

“We have another trip planned on May 23, and that’s already full."

Yorkshire Cat Rescue has told give priority to animals in the most need, such as those who are injured, facing euthanasia for non-medical reasons, or nursing mothers found in gardens.

The waiting list includes cats whose owners have died or lost their jobs, where landlords will not allow cats, or when a new baby is allergic.

Sara stressed that prospective cats on the waiting list were extensively vetted to ensure their suitability for the north-south transfer.

Yorkshire Cat Rescue charges £25 for the costs of transportation to London, but many owners were happy to pay this because it took the animal off the waiting list more quickly.

Visit yorkshirecatrescue.org or calling 01535 647184 for further information.