Put away your purse & become debt-averse

QueenJess

Apparently with the cost of living increasing, including pet costs, there is concern that all the people who adopted pets over lockdown will now be giving them up due to cost ☹️. It does seem like there is more cost everyday in the news. I’m waiting to see my council tax increase which should be out this month, although they always raise it by the maximum they are allowed to.

foxgloves

@QueenJess - I'm awaiting our council tax bill too. With the cost of living increases, I want to get all the new payment amounts onto my spreadsheet as soon as possible.
Yes, that is already happening with dumped Lockdown pets. Our Ash was almost certainly dumped or left behind during that period & our local cat rescue is currently seeing a lot of this. Rising pet costs will be a genuine concern for many, though there are too many irresponsible people wanting kittens without thinking about this being a long term commitment & that they don't stay cute little fluff balls for ever. Our local rescue is seeing a lot of homeless cats where the owners have simply moved away & left them behind. 
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ladyholly

Rescues are going to be overwhelmed with dogs especially as people return to workplaces and they find either the dog has seperation anxiety or they dont have the time for them and the cost of living rises on top is a recipe for disaster for all companion animals.

foxgloves

I think that's already been happening, @ladyholly. Our local cat rescues are full to bursting. I know they are getting people simply handing their cats over because they are 'no longer wanted'. I just can't imagine ever feeling that way about one of our boys. And so many calls from neighbours to say a household has 'moved away but left their cat behind'. The poor thing then sits endlessly outside its old door wondering why it isn't let in for food, before beginning life as a stray. I think the Rescues do a lot of clearing up of other people's irresponsibility, really.  One thing I read recently, which I really liked.....if you adopt a cat or dog from a rescue centre, you are actually helping two homeless animals - the one you choose to come & live with you & the one who can now be rescued because your action freed up an empty pen. 
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slm6002

It is like leaving one of my children behind, my cats are part of our family.

foxgloves

Greetings Snowdrops!
An early start today as I awoke before the alarm with my head hanging over the edge of the bed & that is a sure fire way to a headache for me. Mr F had a later start at work so volunteered to change the litter trays (deep joy!) so having seen the weather forecast, I decided to take advantage of a bit of blue sky & wrapped myself up for the garden. Must have looked an absolute sight in my Mum's old purple spotty cagoule over a short dress with multi-colour legwarmers! No worries however, as I managed to clear & fork over half of the herb bed plus a little way down a problem strip of bed at the side of the greenhouse. 3 trugs of compostables into the dalek & space at last to see what's survived the winter (so far). It looks as though I will only need to buy a thyme or two plus a tarragon. The jury's out on the chives.....the garlic chives are coming up, the ordinary ones are sometimes a bit further behind. Sorrel coming through well. Will doubtless be making soup with that next month, as Mr F likes it for his work lunches with a chunk of soda bread.
Other tasks - Fish trimmings frozen when I divvied up our last fish box poached, egg boiled, all ready for making a fish pie tonight. Potatoes & leek out ready for topping it with leek mash. Use-it-up carrots left out so I can't fail to remember to use them later, along with home grown beans from the freezer (which has a teensy bit of space opening up). Also done 1 survey & checked savings account to make sure that a transfer of funds I did has arrived - savings provider is not a bank, so deposits go into their clearing account prior to being hived off to customer savings account. We are so used to BACS payments just going in pretty instantly, aren't we, that it can be a bit of a 'gulp' moment when you can't see the transaction until the next day......although that might just be me!
I don't need to do too much more today......I think I will save a bit of electricity by getting the tall dustpan & brush out to deal with the cat litter wood pellets which have been scattered far & wide over the lobby. I think they must have been playing 'Let's pretend we're at Skegness!' between Mr F sorting their trays out first thing & my coffee break. More money doubtless to be saved on Saturday as it apparently looks too grotty to go to the lovely snowdrop gardens as planned. Not worth wasting money on petrol if it's too wet to have a proper walk - it'd be driving into a neighbouring county for a coffee shop trip. You can tell we're looking at petrol costs as well as everything else atm. Lots of people commenting on online news sites, social media, etc, that although the UK's headline inflation figure is under 6% atm, there are very many grocery items which have risen by a lot more than this. I bet we will all be seeing more examples of shrinkflation too. 
Well on that happy note, NOT, I had better go & find some lunch.
Batten down the hatches for Eunice.....sounds more like an Aunty than a storm.
F x

foxgloves

@s1m6002 - I completely agree. Awful that so many people appear to regard animals as disposable. This is almost certainly what happened to the younger of our newbies, Ash. He is only two years old now, had been in the rescue quite a while & living rough in somebody's garden for several months before that. That means he was pretty young when he lost his home. He is a striking-looking boy  - assume he was a stunning kitten in a 'desirable' colour,  but no longer wanted as a young adult cat when the novelty had worn off. I heard from one of the local rescues that one of the stray cats they successfully trapped & scanned was microchipped. They contacted the owners who said yes, he did used to be their cat, but that they no longer wanted him!! If that had been me, I'd have been overjoyed to get my missing boy back home. There's no accounting for some people. 
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slm6002

Our 2 were from a litter that were dropped off at a local shelter.  There were 2 left and we had only intended on getting 1.  The little girl cat chose us (she is very wary of people but obviously saw a way out at the time), but the little boy cat sat in his bed.  He has deformed paws and we thought no one is going to choose him thinking it will cost a lot so we took them both.  So glad we did.  He is as crazy as they get, happy and his paws are ok - only had a few issues with them but will do what we can for him.

Sun_Addict

I can't understand the mentality of someone who would dump a poor defenceless animal, they must be absolutely heartless.  I love my dog and 2 cats so much even though they can be very naughty at times. 

foxgloves

Awww, @slm6002, lovely that you were able to help the kitten with deformed paws. It can be surprising what they can adapt to.

@Sun_Addict - Yes, I agree. I suppose it's the epitome of our instant gratification/disposable society.
F