DMP and pets

MrsTinks

cyber if I ever get to have a pedigree it will be a Russian Blue My two moggies are actually 1/4 russian blue and you can tell in their head shape I also think the boy gets his laid back attitude to life from that strain and they are as you say utterly beautiful!
Their mum was Blue in colour and half her litters came out "blue" - half black lol (mine are black) - I guess they take after the neighbouring farms tom cat who was a big black brute! :rotfl:
As I say I've never had pedigrees so I am only assuming on the breed thing maybe making a difference As you say it could be age - Still... £50+ a month... :eek:
But it's possible to find £25 in a budget - just means that if your pets are that important to you that you can do without another luxury (and yes pets are a luxury - especially in the realms of DMPs...)

dizziblonde

I could probably feed, cat litter (would probably have to knock down from buying the expensive stuff on that) and just about insure the furball on £30 a month - 25 would be pushing it, but I'd cut my own foodbill to keep her going if I had to (to be honest I count her food into the grocery budget anyway). It's the insurance that's beginning to get expensive based on her age - but I figure that's the point in time when the insurance starts to get vital - even though it's been dead money for years in that I've never needed to claim on it (yet) - I'd rather have it there in case a horrific expense comes in, than have to scrape around and make decisions based on finance rather than furball then.

I don't go out every weekend, we rarely go for meals out (and when we do it's usually happy hour at the local restaurant), we don't spend on stupid things (apart from my gadget addiction when I've got spare cash) - the tripod is really my major luxury in life (although most luxuries don't hog all the bed, have a three seater sofa to themselves and nag you in an ear splitting miaow endlessly).

Fire_Fox

Haven't really sat down and worked out what Noah costs per month .... :think:

In two months I have used about 15 litres of OkoPlus (£8), plus two months of insurance with AXA (£15), plus 50p per day on food (£31) so about £54 in total or £27 a month. :eek: Could buy cheaper food and cat litter and reduce to £20 or, as Emlou suggested, account for the insurance separately.

I obviously haven't added anything for vets bills or excess - he is indoor so only needs flea and worm treatment very rarely and can't have any boosters as had a bad reaction in the past. And obviously big dogs eat more than cats, tho they don't need litter and I think their food is cheaper kilo for kilo?

gettingready

In my case that standard 25 is supposed to be enough to cover a GS dog and a 10 yoindoor cat with kidney problems....... Just the cat meds are about £20 per month 9and this is via a charity so at a cost).

Of course will cut down everywhere else, I never even mentioned the dogwalker fees.....

usernameisvalid

Just goes to show that Pet ownership is a luxury and not a right

Fire_Fox

usernameisvalid wrote: »

Just goes to show that Pet ownership is a luxury and not a right

I agree with that but life is not so simple. Circumstances change, people take on a pet and THEN end up with an unmanageable debt, sometimes their own fault and sometimes not. What then happens to the pet? Rescues are overflowing, there is not a high demand for older pets.

Furthermore the link between financial worries and mental health problems is well known, it is equally well known that having a pet is a very effective form of treatment. If someone on a DMP is forced to give up their pet and then slides into depression, who benefits?

MrsTinks

Fire Fox - I do agree that people benefit from pets as therapy and so forth - I don't think anyone would dispute that. However if someone can't afford a pet (and I'm very aware that the OP isn't saying they can't afford it - and plenty of people have stated that it is merely a matter of juggling the DMP and using money allocated for other luxuries towards the pets) - but in circumstances like a DMP then pets ARE seen as a luxury and it's not a matter of "fair" or not. The argument could be that people should have had income protection etc but at the end of the day if for whatever reason a pet owner can't afford to adequately care for their pets any more then they should aim to rehome them as soon as possible for the welfare of the animal. Peoples potential depression is certainly serious - but we have a duty of care towards those animals we choose to make live with us. We don't have a "right" to be their owners and masters - we have the priviledge and honour. Once we are unable to fullfill that we should hand it over to someone else who can... or if there is no-one then we should if the animal is suffering and we can't afford it's medical care arrange to have it humanely euthanised. THAT is the duty we take on when we own an animal

MrsTinks

Oh and there are at least one rescue specialising in rehoming older dogs (and they have taken on the odd cat too ) : www.oldies.org.uk

Fire_Fox

Mrs. Tine: I agree completely our pets are a luxury and, like our children, we have a responsibility to put their welfare ahead of our own. But if we are going to compare the two then why don't we also expect people living in deprived circumstances to have their children taken into care?

For those of us who cannot have children - and for some elderly and disabled people - our pets can be best friend, family and our reason for living all rolled into one. Pets are capable of grieving and of depression too, some will adapt wonderfully to being rehomed and others do not that is if they can be rehomed. My Noah is healthy and only three, yet would be classed as hard to place - he needs indoor, no other pets, no children, no large groups, no loud noises, regular vet checkups for his paws, ideally an experienced owner ... :eek:

I am not convinced there is any logic in what is and is not allowed on an SoA - either have no amount for pet care or have a sensible amount, I don't think you can easily keep one animal healthy on just £25 a month. Cars are allowed on an SoA as are mobile phones, and IMHO neither are essential for many people.

Perhaps there could be a way of making a sensible allowance for a sensible number of existing pets at the start of a DMP, with an agreement that no new debt is taken on AND no new pets are taken on? IMHO there is no black or white, no one-size-fits-all solution here.

usernameisvalid

Fire_Fox wrote: »

I agree with that but life is not so simple. Circumstances change, people take on a pet and THEN end up with an unmanageable debt, sometimes their own fault and sometimes not. What then happens to the pet? Rescues are overflowing, there is not a high demand for older pets.

Furthermore the link between financial worries and mental health problems is well known, it is equally well known that having a pet is a very effective form of treatment. If someone on a DMP is forced to give up their pet and then slides into depression, who benefits?

As a pet owner and animal lover - I agree with you on the emotional front

However in the world of finance - pet ownership inst a right and if the DMP say £25 and more is needed, then its up to the pet owner to find the extra from other places - perhaps walking a few more journeys instead of petrol in the car.