Concerned neighbours are calling for help to rescue a cat which refuses to leave its former owner's house.

Mick Jones and his wife Janet Russell say the feline has been "stuck" in the property in School Avenue, Gillingham, after its owner was evicted almost six weeks ago.

Mick, 74, said: "This cat has been abandoned in this house for over a month now. We would desperately like to see it rescued, given a good home, proper attention, cuddles and decent food.

"It has never had much of a life and we want it rescued. I feel very sad, it is stuck in there.

"This cat is entitled to a life and it has had no life while its owner was there but it has got none at all now. It is likely to die if it does not get proper attention soon. How it is alive I do not know.

"It makes me very, very sad and disappointed. I would like to get in the front door but I cannot get into the property. We have been looking everyday and see it sitting in the window."

The cat has been living alone since its owner was evicted from the council house in July 28, according to Mick.

Medway Council officers were feeding the cat until around 10 days ago.

Contractors who cleaned out the property then told them the cat was no longer there so they stopped leaving out food.

They thought he had escaped through an open window. But he soon returned.

Wife Janet, 68, added: "It is horrible. It is smaller than it is meant to be for its age. It is not used to human contact. It is just terrified. It is a nervous cat. We just want to see it rescued.

"I wonder if it knows how much attention it is getting. We just feel sorry for the cat."

Mick made the council aware that it has never left the house and a spokesman confirmed its officers are again leaving fresh food and water out for the cat.

The grandad-of-nine said he is under the impression the council has been in contact with the RSPCA and Cats Protection but neither were able to help which he was surprised by.

Medway Council confirmed it had tried to contact the tenant to retrieve their pet but did not get a response but will now be talking with local rescue centres to help.

An RSPCA spokesman said: "We’d like to reassure people that we have been aware of the cat inside the property, and liaised with Medway Council about him being provided with food and water, as well as options for his owners to collect him, or for him to be rehomed.

"Our local RSPCA inspector is very keen to make sure the cat finds a loving new home, options are being explored to make sure this cat gets his happy ending and a forever home.

"It’s really sad when owners abandon their pets, and charities like the RSPCA are left to pick up the pieces. In Kent there were 1,011 abandoned animals reported to the RSPCA in 2021 and 742 so far this year (Jan-Jul 2022) – a 58% increase from January to July, 2021."

A Cats Protection spokesman added: "Cats Protection is primarily a welfare and rehoming charity and has no powers to enter private property; in circumstances such as this it would be legally unable to intervene."