Tabby cat Ginnie was seen feeding from overflowing waste food bins behind a row of shops for some weeks until she was taken by a concerned shop assistant to the Anim-Mates rescue centre.

Her fosterer Teresa Bloomfield said: “We did everything possible to find Ginnie’s owners. We put up posters, checked with local vets and made lots of inquiries, but to no avail.

“When a stray comes in the first thing we check for is a microchip. We have a special scanner that detects the chip number, which in turn is registered to an owner. Unfortunately Ginnie was not microchipped.

“Ginnie is a very sweet, healthy young adult cat. Unfortunately she has become a little stressed being around a lot of other cats here, so we are looking for a new home for her where she will be the only pet. She would be happier with an all-adult home, too.”

Ginnie has been neutered, microchipped and vaccinated by her rescuers.

If you can offer Ginnie a home, call 07743 331397.

Anim-Mates is an animal rescue group serving south-east London run entirely by volunteers.

All the animals are cared for in the homes of fosterers who treat them as their own pets until they are re-homed.

All new homes are vetted.

To see all the animals in the care of Anim-Mates visit the charity’s website www.anim-mates.org.uk.