Your pets and the recession -cutting on costs and keeping your companion
Here are alist of tips most sussex vets can agree on.
The credit crunch has hit us and hit us hard, and animal shelters are reporting a rise in the number of animals they are receiving and most are close to full. Animal lovers are having to make a difficult decision over their pets. Here’s afew pointers to help you and fido through these hard times.
- Owning a pet can cost alot, so do some research into getting one. Animals do require care and money to look after them, and you’ll have to do the number crunching to see if you can take care of one? Go to the local animal shelters about giving an abandoned pet a new home.
- Take out pet insurance. Its not always cheap, but it’ll be alot more cheaper than all the vet fees that you’ll have to pay in the future. Cover can cost from as little from £8 per month -shop around online and find out.
- Buy a cheaper pet food brand- all the family is making sacrifices, so why shouldnt fido? Your pet may reject the cheaper food at first (some being picky), but if thats all they have to eat they’ll come around- usually in five minutes time.
- Make sure your pet has been neutered. Taking care of one animal can be costly, but a whole litter can be too much to look after? The animal popualtion is high enough as it is and shelters are already close to their maximum capacity.
You’ve done these tips to try and keep hold of your pets, but sadly, what if those animal hospital bills are too much?
- Get into contact with the animal shetlers to see if they can take your beloved pet.
- Phone round your relatives and friends to see if they would take your pet in (just have loads of excuses ready to drop by to see your furry friend).
- DO NOT JUST ABANDON YOUR PET in the middle of nowhere.
- Put an ad up in the local paper to see if anyone is willing to take your pet off your hands.
The effects of the credit crunch on our pets
Animal charities and sussex vets have noticed that the Credit crunch is now taking our tolls to on our fluffy friends.
Animal charities and shelters are reporting a shocking increase in the amount of animals coming into their clinics- mostly dogs and cats. During this credit crunch, companies are struggling to make ends meet, people just cant cope with both their bills and the bills of their pets. Animals are either being dropped off at animal shelters or taken a distance away from the family home and dropped in the middle of no-where, left to fend for themselves.
What has bought this on? Some families got a pet last xmas, only for their job situation to change suddenly. Meaning that the families new addition is the first one out the door before the kids can become too attached. Another reason is people are forced to downgrade to smaller living quarters which have a no pets policy.
Can the animal hospitals cope with this sudden influx of casualties?
Most animal charities are now close to being full, only able to take in emergency cases. All charities in general are getting less donations as some people consider themselves a charity, trying to save for the harsh times at the moment.
There is a bright spot on the end of this tail (pun intended), as january saw an increase in the number of pet adoptions, which has been the best month for awhile, but the ratio between those coming in and those going out with a loving family are still agreat distance apart.
