Our feline friends can enjoy a life of luxury, even on a budget. Here, STEVE CHARNOCK looks at ways you can continue to spoil your favourite feline without busting the bank
Austerity, recessions, inflation… There’s always some sort of dastardly outside influence putting pressure on our finances, isn’t there? The latest one’s so serious it even has the word ‘crisis’ in its name.
The Cost of Living Crisis™ that we’re all currently experiencing, with prices shooting up and wages shooting absolutely nowhere, is putting a strain on many of us. For some, it’s even impacting their status as pet owners.
As sad as it is, many people with cats are in such dire economic straits that they’re having to give up their beloved furry friends in order to cut costs. Something that’s heartbreaking for them and their families and far from ideal for the moggies themselves.
Like many other things, it’s a situation compounded by the Covid-19 lockdowns. Between March 2020 and March 2021, with everyone stuck at home, bored, dog and cat ownership soared. The UK’s pet population rocketed by more than three million. The return to normality was welcome, but caused many new pet owners to realise that their new addition wasn’t practical for their ‘normal’ lifestyles.
This surge in cat ownership (26% of all households in the UK currently serve a cat), coupled with recent financial pressures has seen a big spike in cats being handed into rescue charities like ourselves. To make matters worse, donations to charity are down too. According to research by the Charities Aid Foundation, 2022 saw five million Brits report having donated less money to charities than they had three years ago.
If you’re feeling the pinch and are worried that, should things get worse, you may have to give your cat up, we feel for you. We’d also like to see that fate avoided, just as you would. As such, as a small gesture of help, we’ve come up with some tips on cost cutting and money saving when it comes to looking after our feline pals…
Get pet insurance
Wow, what a way to start our advice, by telling you to spend money. The thing is, while pet insurance is yet another unwanted monthly or annual charge, it can be a Godsend when it comes to settling up vet bills. Of course, how well you’re covered and how much you can claim will depend on your premium, but packages start from as little as £10 a month. Which barely gets you two tubs of Lurpak these days.
Buy into a pet health scheme
There’s that word again – ‘buy’. Unfortunately you can’t eradicate costs, but you can keep them down. If you sign up to your vets’ pet health scheme, a monthly fee will cover you for flea and worm treatments, as well as check-ups, boosters and even things like claw clipping.
Shop around
You may be surprised to find out just how huge the price ranges of items such as cat litter can be. Don’t just accept that 10 litres of the stuff costs 15 quid just because that’s what you last paid. Do a little research. So long as it works and your cat(s) is happy to use it, there’s nothing wrong with using an own brand at a fraction of the cost. It’s just going to be piddled and pooped on, anyway.
Buy food in bulk
A bit of basic economics here, but worth bearing in mind. Think ‘economies of scale’ when buying cat food. Order your pouches or tins en masse to save on the per unit price.
Investigate pet food banks
More than two million people are forced to regularly make use of one of the 3,000+ food banks in this country in order to keep their cupboards and fridges stocked. Increasingly, British pets are relying on donated food to fill their bowls and bellies, with demand for pet food bank food doubling in the past year.
Currently, the only local one is The Berkshire Pet Food Bank, based out of the Bank Best Friends Pet Store on Crowthorne High Street.
For more help and advice, or to discover cats who need a new, loving home, log on to Thames Valley Animal Welfare’s website, www.tvaw.org.uk
