You’ll have noticed that the price of many essential items has risen sharply in recent months, from petrol and diesel to food and energy costs. That also means that the cost of another thing that we feel is essential has risen: owning a pet.
Studies have shown that having a pet in your life is great for mental health and general wellness, and of course we all know the myriad of benefits of loving, and being loved by, a cat. Unfortunately, an increasing number of cat owners are finding it financially tough to give their pet the food, warmth and love they need – meaning that the cost of living crisis is also becoming a pet ownership crisis.
We’re facing an increasing demand for our services, but with space in our shelter limited it means that many cats will have to be placed onto a growing waiting list. Even more worryingly, we’re also seeing an increasing number of cats and kittens being abandoned, such as Bourbon and Dodger at the top of this post who were left in a box by the side of a road aged just 5 days old.
We spoke to journalist Olivia Mustafa about the impact of the cost of living crisis on The Sheffield Cats Shelter, and you can see her report and video on Yorkshire Live at the link below: https://www.examinerlive.co.uk/news/local-news/sheffield-cats-shelter-almost-bursting-25462231