Posts Tagged ‘abandonment’

More pets than ever have been abandoned over the Christmas period, as the recession continues to take its toll on animal welfare in the UK. 60 cats were abandoned in Warwickshire over December whilst, in the south-west, 11 cats were handed over to the RPSCA on Christmas day alone! As fewer and fewer animals are being adopted, many homes are struggling to accommodate all their new arrivals.

Animal charities across the country blame the recession, in particular people’s irresponsible approach to pets when regarding their financial situation. Many people buy cats over Christmas without properly considering the financial implications of owning a pet; cat food, cat insurance and vets bills to name but a few.

In my opinion, this disposable-pet philosophy is yet another indication of a deeper problem with our society – recession or not. Failure to consider the well-being of an animal before personal gimmick-based happiness is simply a side effect of modern culture; even if we could afford to keep the animals, thousands of people would still buy them without putting any thought into it. What we need is change of heart, not a new economy.