Your Pets Daily - Cost of living crisis

Increasing numbers of pet owners rely on the support of food banks to feed their animals

Tom Stone — Sat, 16 Dec 2023 08:00:00 +0000

As the cost of living escalates, increasing demand is being made on food banks. And not just to feed people – pet owners are being faced with the awful reality of not being able to afford food for their animals so have begun to rely on food banks to feed their beloved pets.

At the end of 2020 the Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home supplied fifty food banks in East and Central Scotland with vital meals for pets. They now supply 88 and requests from pet owners since last year has risen by 33%. To demonstrate just how much demand has increased, in October 2020 the Home provided 500 food bank meals – compared with a staggering 52,613 in October 2023.

Community Outreach Lead at the Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home, Kirsten Gillon, said that the cost-of-living crisis is partly to blame. She said, "The cost-of-living crisis has really accentuated the fact that people are needing help to feed their pets. And it's not always people who are on benefits who need us, it's also people who are working and can't access government support, so they are forced turn to our food banks."

The demand for pet food bank support is growing so rapidly it is currently outstripping supply. Kirsten continued, "The need is just growing and growing, it's not declining in any way. The need is far greater than anything I thought it would be. And trying to find enough donations to fill the requests is really difficult. We've tried to increase donations coming in and we try to split donations as fairly and equally as we can across locations. It's not always possible as we are at the mercy of the generous donations of the public."

Without food bank support from the Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home, some pet owners would be forced to surrender their beloved dog or cat, as this anonymous user explains, "Pets are key to my mental health as well as physical health and over all wellbeing. I didn't realise I could get help with dog food and have been going without so I could feed my two dogs. This help with food is so appreciated and allows us all to be fed and stay together."

The Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home finds winter an especially difficult season as higher costs drain funds while demand for their vital services increases. To help get through the winter months, the Home recently launched a Winter Appeal, seeking donations to enable the Home to cope with the increased demand, continue providing vital support to animals in need and help people to keep their beloved pets at home.

To make a donation and to read more of their life-altering stories please visit www.edch.org.uk/winterappeal OR text SURRENDER to 70560 to donate £5.

Donations of £20 can provide a cat with the vaccinations they require to be rehomed or £100 could keep a dog warm in the Home for three months.

Texts will cost the donation amount plus one standard network rate message, and you'll be opting into hearing more from Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home. If you would like to donate but don't wish to hear more, text SURRENDERNOINFO instead.

The support of generous donors has kept Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home open for 140 years and given animals a safe place to recover, find love and to support 88 foodbanks across East and Central Scotland.

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Report reveals cat owners struggling as costs soar

Katie Court — Fri, 08 Dec 2023 12:00:00 +0000

The most comprehensive survey of cat owners in the UK has found that a third (34%) have been significantly and negatively impacted by the rise in living costs, with younger, female and less affluent owners particularly affected.

According to Cats Protection's Cats and Their Stats Report 2023, over 3% of cat owners rely on food banks to feed their pets and 14% seriously worry about how they will meet their cat's needs in the future.

For many owners, the rising cost of living is a big concern, with 7% saying that they have already had to reduce their spending on necessities such as cat food and a quarter of owners (25%) having doubts about how they would pay vet bills if their cat became sick or injured.

The report also found that 13% of people who used to own a cat, but no longer do, say that it's because they can't afford it.

"This year's report data suggests that these concerns about the cost of living are having the tangible effect of preventing cats from entering or remaining within loving homes," said Cats Protection's Chief Executive John May. "And we've noticed in recent months that calls to our Contact Centre to give a cat up have increased while those wanting to adopt have gone down."

This is the fourth year Cats Protection has conducted the CATS survey which takes a unique and unrivalled look at the relationship between people and their pet cats.

"Understanding the current challenges that cat owners face and recognising trends early is crucial in helping us provide the most appropriate support," said John.

Earlier this year the charity launched an online hub to support owners in need with a raft of information including how to look after a cat on a budget and how to access help with costs.

In addition, Cats Protection runs schemes across the UK to help people on limited incomes with the cost of microchipping and neutering their pet cats as well as providing food banks with cat food.

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A Dog Can Now Cost Owners Over £100k in a Lifetime!

Your Pets Daily Editor — Thu, 07 Dec 2023 16:00:00 +0000

HUGE STUDY Reveals the True Lifetime Cost of Pet Ownership – It's Time For Pet Owners to Dig Deep

Over £106k for a pampered pooch, up to £85k for a mollycoddled kitty – these are the latest figures for lifetime pet ownership costs according to a new study by HouseholdPets.co.uk. With hidden costs not accounted for by other research and inflation ignored – owning a pet could be significantly more costly than people anticipate!

Some key facts:

The study spans all common UK household pets including cats, dogs, rabbits, guinea pigs, hamster, gerbils and rats. Giving potential pet owners the full picture of their options and costs.
Large dogs on a premium diet take the crown of most expensive costing over £106k over a lifetime.
Large cats getting treated to the best can also rack up the costs because of their long 15 year lifespan – giving a top end cost of over £85k.
Giant dogs consume 950kg of food each year, the equivalent of two female highland cows.
Owning a cat could cost 60% more per month than running an average family car.
The cheapest pet is a hamster, which has an all-in lifetime cost of under £500 on a minimal outlay.

The team at Household Pets put in hundreds of hours of research to produce a realistic (if not terrifying at times) estimate of the real cost of owning a pet.

Head researcher Michaella Wheatley noted:

We were looking for reliable data on the cost of keeping a dog over a lifetime, and while data existed online from some very reputable sources, it was often very basic/inaccurate. So, we decided to do our own study and put this right.

Doggy Highlights:

Dogs come with a lot of one-off costs for accessories and initial vet fees, on average these will cost around £600-1000 depending on your price range. Owners should price this in along with the cost of the dog, ongoing insurance and food.

While the highest costs can seem very intimidating, dogs can still be an affordable companion. For example, the minimum lifetime cost of a small crossbreed comes in at £17,636 (compared to the maximum £106k cost of a giant pedigree).

On average you will incur around £30,000 costs over the lifetime of a medium sized crossbreed dog, when opting for mid-range purchases throughout its lifetime.

Cat Highlights:

The initial one-off costs for cats come in lower than for dogs, at around £400-700. But this can be hugely increased, with some owners opting to buy cat beds and scratch posts well into the thousands alone.

With cats being smaller, eating less, and generally requiring less accessories, it would be assumed they are less expensive than dogs. While this is true in the short term, their longer lifespans incur higher costs over a lifetime - £41,181 for a medium sized crossbreed to be precise.

Interestingly, with cats the gulf between wet and dry food costs is far higher than with dogs. On average wet cat food is 9x more expensive than dry, whereas with dogs it's only a difference of around 1.5-2x due to so many cheap variations on the market.

Pets and the Cost of Living:

With the last two years bringing an unprecedented increase in the cost-of-living, pet owners have been hit hard. The BBC has reported the use of pet food banks has skyrocketed and charities are struggling to meet demands.

Many families which bought a pet as an additional companion during COVID lockdowns are now facing serious financial strain. This is why it is prudent to assess the whole life costs of a pet before taking on ownership.

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Eight ways to lower the cost of owning a dog

Katie Court — Mon, 04 Dec 2023 12:00:00 +0000

Having a furry friend for a companion can be an incredibly rewarding experience, but owning a dog is expensive. They need high-quality food, toys to keep them entertained, comfortable sleeping arrangements, accessories, grooming appointments and regular checkups at the vet.

To help cut the cost down of owning a dog, the team at tails.com have shared their top eight tips to care for your canine companion on a budget.

Buy pet insurance

Making sure your pet has an insurance plan will help reduce the costs of healthcare in the future, including accidents, illnesses and other conditions. It gives you peace of mind that, whatever trouble your dog gets itself into, the insurance will help cover the cost.

Keep up to date on jabs

It's important to keep up to date with your pup's injections, vaccines and regular checkups at the vet. While your dog is healthy they might seem like an unnecessary purchase, but keeping up to date with these things helps to prevent any expensive medical bills in the long term.

At-home grooming

Brushing, washing and ear cleaning can all be done at home. Get the right tools and follow a step by step online tutorial and you can save money and help cut down on the frequency of trips to the groomer.

Make your own treats

Treats can be expensive, especially when training a new puppy or attempting to teach an old dog a new trick. You can cut down on the costs by making yummy treats at home and this way you know they are packed full of nutritious ingredients.

Create your own fun

If your furry friend loves destroying all their new toys within a matter of days, then keeping them entertained can be extremely expensive. Using items, such as plastic bottles, cardboard boxes and old fabric, lying around the home, you can whip up your own homemade toys that will keep your dog busy for hours.

Shop around for deals

Just like home, car or life insurance, it's important that when searching for the right pet insurance you search around to find the best and most affordable deals. Make sure you understand what expenses the pet insurance policy covers before you purchase.

Keep on top of dental care

Your dog's oral health is very important and can be a costly procedure if left without care and treatment early on. Speak to your vet about how often you should be brushing your pet's teeth and what products are suitable for them. Taking care of their teeth will help prevent any expensive trips to the vets in the future.

Buying the essentials

Think about what you really need to keep your dog happy and healthy. You'll need the basics like food, bowl, collar, lead and medical requirements, but do you really need to spend a fortune on designer dog wear and overly priced toys. Your pet is not materialistic, if you can find a cheaper alternative in a discounter store, then save your pennies.

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