How do dog and cat owners deal with inflation?

Many daily products are affected by high prices and our food farm animals Don’t run away from it. The subject of the question is the prices of raw materials that have exploded, especially grain and gas prices, but also the avian influenza pandemic that has caused the slaughter of millions of poultry.

“We are seeing a price increase of about 8.8% in one year on dog and cat food on the shelves,” noted a few days ago in ActuaryMyriam Kadi, responsible for studies at NielsenIQ, member of the reference committee on sales in supermarkets.

While monthly food consumption fluctuates between 2 and 3 kilograms of cat food and an average of 10 kilograms for dogs, according to data from the Ministry of Economy, and one in two French families has at least one pet, the question of the price of kibble is not a trivial one. So how can owners afford these (heavy) fees?

The solution for cable stocks…

He replies, “They tighten their belts on other expenses.” Actuary René Michau, president of Prodaf (The Syndicate of Pet Professionals), quoted a study by Harris Interactive last November that stated that “three-quarters (74%) of French people believe that an animal should be spent on it”.

The owners say they are willing to make sacrifices rather than touch the habits of their animals. Mentalities have developed, the animal has become a full member of the family and the owners are looking for the best for him. Also an opportunity for more structural changes with 37% favoring the industry in France.

In the face of kibble packs for small dogs weighing 8 kg around 40 euros in 2019 are now on offer at 55 euros, pet owners are however looking for solutions and increasingly flocking to e-commerce sites that can provide stock.

A good plan, often, provided you can keep it: Keep the box of croquettes closed, away from moisture and light so that the food does not spoil. In short, the idea is to open these packages as little as possible to prevent oxidation from affecting nutritional quality.

“E-commerce websites are not necessarily cheaper than physical stores. On the other hand, they make it possible to get a better view and compare products and prices more easily,” comments to Actuary The 30 Million Friends Foundation, which “systematically” reminds each adopter that the budget allocated to their animal “is not static and fluctuates particularly according to the animal’s size (for dogs), its age and health.

Health insurance also…

So many professionals are concerned about using poor quality cable for financial reasons, which can backfire for gentlemen because it (also) increases the bill for vets…which also increases.

Prices for major veterinary procedures rose 2.32% between 2021 and 2022, according to a survey conducted by the advisory site for animal owners. The absolute mammoth, which is an average that masks strong disparities between cities. Here again, a potentially profitable solution to reduce costs: insurance.

“While only 5% of pet owners today say they have health insurance for their pets, this solution appeals to nearly half (47%), and even more between 18-24 years old (73%),” she notes. Renee Michau. Definitely driving.

veterinary schools…

If animals entail incompressible expenditures, necessarily affected by inflation, associations and veterinarians are increasingly concerned that low-income individuals will therefore begin to question the appropriateness of certain treatments, or even abandon their animals.

For example, the 30 Million Dames Foundation has partnered with the National Veterinary School of Alfort (in Maison Alfort in Val-de-Marne) in order to allow the poor – not subject to income tax. , RSA beneficiaries – to provide care for their animals. The scholarship granted by the Foundation allows them to benefit from a 50% discount on the preferential rate charged by the school.

Regarding care, it is already possible to contact veterinary schools when they are near you. This economic ploy allows you to summon apprentices who need training, but there are a few national schools: Maisons-Alfort (Val-de-Marne), Toulouse (Haute-Garonne), Nantes (Loire-Atlantique) and Lyon (Rhone).

The legal department receives more reports of lack of care (negligence) in which the persons concerned invoke the economic context to justify the lack of identification, update of vaccination or veterinary care to be performed (including operation).

The second hand market…

So, for now, fans of our four-legged friends in France will mostly choose to juggle their budget in other regions and share their tips.

Buy your food in bulk, but above all bet on a good diet so you don’t have to pay veterinary fees, and also ask the butcher what surpluses he left once the meat was cut to cut costs or even bet on a second hand.

Vinted, the one-stop-shop, has understood this and has just launched a new category, dedicated to pets, to find toys, blankets, bowls, collars, or even clothes for dogs and cats.

Dropouts on the rise due to inflation?

Pet abandonment has increased by 24% in the UK, and the Animal Protection Association (RSCPA) was alarmed at the end of August. I mentioned this in 22 908 Abandon them Between January and July 2022 compared to 18,375 for the same period last year.

According to the RSPCA, this explains the increase in cases of abandonment, the epidemic – many Britons have adopted pets – and the cost of living crisis that is shrinking the family budget. The RSPCA mentions 20% of pet owners who fear having trouble feeding their dog or cat. If the Foundation of 30 Million Friends does not see this trend as heavy in France at the moment, SPA is beginning to feel it.

on me TF1, director of a shelter in Montpellier (Hérault), saturated, confirms this. In a report that aired a few days ago, this dog is shown in his crate: “He is 11 years old, people brought him back to us because they no longer had money and could not support their needs,” she said.

Meanwhile, she laments the drop in adoptions: “People wonder if it makes sense to take an animal when we don’t know ourselves how we’ll be able to finish the month,” she sums up.

Like in Toulouse (Haute-Garonne), where the ATPA-SPA shelter says it is facing an unprecedented wave of animal abandonment and calls for help…

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