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Keep a pet for just 96p a day
PETS are the latest victim
of the credit
crunch as owners try
to save money.
New figures from the Cats
Protection League's 29 adoption
centres show a 77 per cent
increase in the number of
unwanted felines during the
first four months of this year.
The RSPCA is also expecting
the number of unwanted pets
to top the 7,346 animals abandoned
by their owners last
year.
But when the money's tight
it is possible to maintain a
healthy cat for just under a
pound a day and keep a rein
on your dog food budget.
Eva Petersen, veterinary
nurse at Southampton's Brook
House Veterinary Hospital,
said: "The first thing I would
do is advise people to buy dry
food which may not sound
exciting but is just as good for
your cat - in fact it is often
better.
"I think people put expensive
brand name wet food in
the shopping basket without
even realising how much it
costs.
"You can buy decent dry
food for around £15 a month
whereas lots of people buy
expensive pouches in dribs
and drabs and it adds up.
"Also only feed your cat
water which is not only better
for your cat but also is cheaper
than milk or the new cat
milk pouches that are available.
"Finally insurance is very
important as vet bills can hit
people trying to save the pennies
whereas insurance is
quite cheap."
With £15 a month on food,
around £8 on insurance and
£20 on preventative care every
three months - the grand total
comes to 96p a day.
"With dogs I would strongly
advise people to spend a little
bit of money on preventative
care as veterinary bills can be
more expensive as larger
doses are needed," said Eva.
As big dogs eat a lot of food I
would also advise people to
make savings by buying large
amounts in bulk."
Win a trolley of food in the Daily Echo all this week - 21/07/08 -- 25/07/08
9:55am Monday 21st July 2008
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