The cats are coaxed into the traps by food

Armed with cat food and special traps, members of the Gwent Cats Protection charity are travelling across the region catching the wild cats.

Once they are caught, they get taken to the nearest vet to be neutered before being released back.

It is thought that hundreds of cats live in colonies across the region.

Sharon Raymond and Becky Vacara spend their days travelling to places where the cats are known to have formed a colony.

"It is a big problem. It only takes one pregnant cat to start a colony," said Ms Raymond.

Sharon Raymond and Becky Vacara try to trap the cats to get them neutered

"One cat can throw a litter four times a year, and on average five kittens are born per litter.

"And it only take six months or so for the kitten to be able to have her own.

"Within eight months or so, there is going to be a lot of cats in one place," she said.

One colony of about 30 cats is in the Glan Y Nant allotments, near Ystrad Mynach.

Gardeners at the site said that the cat population has grown over the last few years.

Gurwyn Williams, who has had a patch at the site for the last 35-years said that he had never seen it so bad.

"We never used to have cats here, but there was a house fire not far from here a number of years ago and the cat from the house came to live in the allotment.

They do keep the rabbits and birds away but there are too many of theme Edgar Hills, gardener

"Ever since then, there has been loads of cats living in sheds around here."

And Edgar Hills, 74 has been gardening at the allotments since he was eight-years-old.

"There are good and bad things about having them here," he said.

"They do keep the rabbits and birds away but there are too many of them.

"You can't put a hanging basket up because they come and sleep in them.

"And one time I even had a cat have her kittens in the glasshouse

"I was feeling around there one day when all of a sudden I felt something warm and furry - I thought it was a rat so I pulled my hand out really quick," he laughed.

Neutered

Volunteers from Gwent Cats Protection have been visiting the site since February and have caught a number of cats which they have had neutered before they are returned back to the colony.

"Cats are not stupid and they have seen the traps a few times now and know what they do, so you have to have a lot of patience," said Becky Vacara one of the volunteers.