The holidays are a time of year when many people give to the less fortunate, and one group is hoping that generosity will extend to animals in need -- specifically, orphaned kittens.

The Vancouver Orphan Kitten Rescue is in dire straits this year after receiving an unprecedented number of homeless cats.

"It's a really sad situation that humans have caused," said group president Karen Duncan.

In the average year, the group claims to take in around 800 cats. But more and more people are leaving their pets behind when they move, Duncan said, straining the group's finances.

The group is not a shelter, instead relying on 150 volunteer foster families to provide care for orphaned and abandoned cats.

With limited families available, however, much of the kitten rescue's operation involves trapping stray cats, spaying them and letting them back into the wild. It's an expensive process that has racked up $50,000 in veterinary bills for the organization.

The group is trying to get funding from civic governments, and Duncan says there's still hope. 

"We're not going anywhere, we're holding," she said. "But we just said, 'We can't take on anymore situations until we get our vet bills paid off.'"

For more information on the group, or to make a donation, visit www.orphankittenrescue.com.

With a report from CTV British Columbia's Norma Reid