In an emotional Facebook post, Natalie Dodds asked: Does this kitten look like she needs to be euthanised?

Natalie told how she had resigned as a volunteer at Cats Protection because the giant charity wanted the kitten called Penny put to sleep.

There are other volunteers across the country who say that they too have walked out over what some call its kill policy.

Natalie, a former foster carer at the charity's branch in Telford, Shropshire, says that she took in little Penny after Cats Protection officials recommended that it be put down rather than have an operation for a chest deformity.

From the outset, Cats Protection did not wish to treat Penny, not even with flea or worm treatment, as her operation would cost more than the 500 limit per cat, and as such she was destined to die, she said.

So her fianc Ryan adopted Penny, refusing the offer of a refund if he returned her, telling the charity: Never did I believe that a kitten would need rescuing from the very organisation that was supposed to protect her.

An operation proved a complete success.

Penny is still thriving and loving her life, she is now ten months old and has already lived seven months longer than Cats Protection would have allowed, said Natalie.

I could not accept that Penny required euthanasia when there was treatment options available to her.

Following Pennys adoption, I made the decision to formally resign.

I pride myself on always putting animal welfare first and could not continue to be associated with this organisation.

Natalie states that the charity is particularly inclined to euthanise cats with two viruses usually known by the initials FIV and FeLV, especially if they are wild.

Cats Protection will snap test for FIV and FeLV all cats but if a feral has a positive result, they will not have secondary bloods tests done - its euthanasia immediately.

Others make the same allegation, including Sue Phillips who volunteered for the Atherton and Wigan branch of Cats Protection in Lancashire for 21 years until being told by email that she was no longer wanted.

Matters came to a head when branch members met national officials who wanted a cat called Simba, who had FIV, put to sleep.

Volunteers at the meeting challenged this due to having previous success with ill or unwell FIV cats, said Sue.

The two officials repeated on several occasions that FIV cats that were ill should be put to sleep, full stop.

The fosterer was following the agreed treatment plan with the vet but the committee was told that the fosterer should overrule the vet and euthanise the cat.

You save a cat's life and wait for someone in head office to criticise by saying it was against policy, but they never say well done for saving cat's life.

She particularly recalls another cat, called Zorro, describing agreeing to transfer him to an adoption centre on the advice of her superiors as one of the worst decisions of her life.

"After all the time and effort that I had taken with Zorro he was put to sleep within three weeks of going to the shelter. They didn't even discuss it with me first. He should not have been put to sleep."

Zara Oldfield is from the Torbay and Teignbridge branch.

She states: I was told at a welfare course run by Cats Protection in January that from April any cat with FeLV was to be euthanised, along with all kittens of a mother who tests positive for FeLV.

Any cat with FIV was to be assessed and if there were any other issues, be it physical or behavioural, they were to be euthanised.

The tests are not necessarily accurate but they don't carry out further more expensive tests to check that the diagnosis is correct.

Jacky Goodman was co-ordinator of Stockport Cats Protection, working there for more than 30 years until being sacked over free-roaming cats near the pens.

A manager said this loose colony of cats had to go, I said they're not going anywhere, she explained.

The majority had health issues, it would have been hard to re-home them and most would have been put to sleep.

I wasn't going to allow that, I stuck by what I thought was right for those cats.

They also said we were spending too much per cat.

I would not deliberately break rules but if I thought I was doing right for the cats and had the support of the vets then I broke the limit frequently. I was a square peg in a round hole.

Carole Barnes had worked at the Stockport branch for 11 years but was sacked for a "conflict of interests" when she also volunteered to help Jacky set up a new group, Stopford Cat Rescue. "We now have a thriving little independent registered charity," she said.

Kim Leadbitter resigned from the Wharfe Valley branch in North Yorkshire, admitting that she smuggled animals away from Cats Protection to save them.

She states that she would take FIV cats to independent rescue groups under the radar, rather than see them put to sleep by Cats Protection.

FIV is not a death sentence, cats with it don't need putting to sleep, she insisted, adding that the branch was criticised for over-spending.

Our branch had plenty of funds and was allowed to re-open after being put 'on hold' but we were told that we had to get permission for any spending over 50.

Some of these people have no compassion for the animals they are meant to look after.

A former volunteer for the Harrogate branch, also in North Yorks, said: There is a kill policy for FIV cats, domestic and feral.

I was told that we were not to take in any more farm kittens as 'who knows what germs they may bring in'.

There was no way that I could work for an organisation that had no care for feral cats.

Naomi Reynolds, a volunteer at the Wrexham branch, said she left after a kitten called Pickford was put to sleep.

He had some health issues but a lady had been found willing to pay the adoption fee and subsequent treatment, but euthanasia was still carried out.

Pickford was dead and so was my belief in Cats Protection, said Naomi.

Iain MacIver helped at the Lewis and Harris branch in Scotland, which has now being closed down.

The fact that over 100 ferals had been neutered and endless kittens saved the previous year was I felt being frowned upon, he said.

We had done too much and were costing too much, helping cats seemed unimportant.

He rescued an emaciated and traumatised cat named Zandt, and then adopted him rather than obey instructions to release him where he was found saying he would have died.

He is now the most adorable loving cuddly pet, no thanks to Cats Protection.

A meeting with senior supervisors went so badly that the then branch coordinator and treasurer resigned the same night.

The cat pens were at the coordinator's house, who said they could still be used, but Cats Protection rejected the offer.

So we approached kitten season 2019 with no pens, said Iain.

As the summer progressed call after call came in for cats and kittens needing help, all to be told there was nothing we could do.

They closed our branch in December, I believe that was always their intention.

By this time Iain had already resigned, having been reprimanded for taking in kittens at his own expense.

So Cats Protection not caring has resulted in us now owning 20 cats. We are basically running an unfunded cat sanctuary because of their lack of care. It's a life changing situation.

Don't get me wrong, no one forced us to do this and we adore and spoil each and every one of them, but we did it because we care and Cats Protection didn't.

Another former volunteer at the same branch said: We received new laptops, mobile phones and a printer when all we really wanted was cat pens so we could help more animals.

A former volunteer for the Harrogate branch in North Yorkshire said: There is a kill policy for all FIV cats, domestic and feral.

The policy was to only take in younger cats as older cats would tie up the pens for too long. The owners were encouraged to make the 'right decision' and have the cats put to sleep.

I was told that we were not to take in any more farm kittens as 'who knows what germs they may bring in'.

There was no way that I could work for an organisation that had no care for feral cats.

Last October 14 members at the Fareham branch in Hampshire resigned in protest over Cats Protection policies, and a few days ago the whole branch at Mere and Gillingham in Dorset left.

In a public statement the members said the final straw was a claim by head office that the branch had enough resources when in fact they had to buy food and litter out of their own pockets, saying: We feel we have been treated appallingly.

Cats Protection said in a statement: As a charity that values the hard work and dedication of its volunteers, its very upsetting for all concerned when there are disagreements.

We dont take their resignation lightly and sadly none of the complaints are news to us as theyve been subject to lengthy consultations over the past few months.

Unfortunately, however, human emotion can often cloud judgement of what is best for animals and, as cat welfare experts, our job is to ensure we do what is in cats best interests who are masters at hiding pain and distress.

Euthanasia is only ever considered where a cats illness or injury means a comfortable life free of suffering is not possible.

Sadly cats with FeLV (also known as feline leukemia) fall into this category as they will rapidly succumb to a distressing, incurable and fatal disease, as well as the risk that they present to the wider at population in spreading the virus.

Income: 73million.

Wages bill: 27million.

Cats rehomed: 41,000.

Number of staff paid more than 60,000: 17.

Rehoming cats bill: 26million

Number of shops: 131.

Branches closed/merged: 17.

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Cats Protection accused of unnecessarily putting cats to sleep - Mirror Online