NATIONWIDE PET SHARE LAUNCHED TO SUPPORT PET OWNERS THROUGH THE COST OF LIVING CRISIS

With many having adopted or bought dogs during the pandemic now facing spiralling costs due to the cost of living crisis, ManyPets has partnered with local sharing app OLIO, to launch a nationwide pet share and encourage pet parents to give their pre-loved items a new home – contributing to a less wasteful pet community whilst making pet ownership easier for others.

As the cost of living continues to rise, 89 percent of pet owners would be interested in giving unused items to other local animal owners. As it stands, only 23 percent of pet parents currently donate goods to charity, while 16 percent store unwanted items indefinitely.

New research from ManyPets and local community sharing app OLIO reveals that struggling pet owners are spending £535 a year on food and toys alone.

Reflecting on this bill, 44 percent also admit to feeling guilty or embarrassed at the amount of things they buy their cat or dog which end up unused.

The average pet owner has an average of 24 items including toys, outfits, beds and treats stashed away unused, that could otherwise be rehomed.

On average, owners have spent £239 on unwanted pet food during their pet’s lifetime due to their pet’s indecisiveness, in addition to £183 on snubbed toys and accessories.

Amélie Cléret, 39, lives in a village near Chesterfield with her Bengal cat, Yukio. Yukio is 3 years old and Amélie admits Yukio is a very fussy cat. Ten months ago, Amélie embarked on a journey to try and mimic a cat’s natural diet by purchasing cat food only made from meat and without any additives found in cheaper alternatives. Sadly for Amélie, Yukio wasn’t as keen on this idea, and was much happier when eating food stocked by well-known supermarket brands.

After a few food orders, Amélie had racked up a number of posh pouches and tins and she decided to list the items on OLIO. The 11 tins and 24 pouches of food were collected by a local neighbour who fosters cats and kittens.

Oke Eleazu, CEO, ManyPets UK, said: “We’re proud to be partnering with OLIO to make pet ownership more accessible and sustainable for pet parents nationwide. We know our pets’ pickiness can result in hundreds of unwanted items gathering dust in the backs of cupboards, but it couldn’t be easier to join the biggest pet spare share and give unused items a new lease of life.”

Nicki Rayner, 46, lives in Stourbridge with her husband, two children and their Rhodesian Ridgeback, Cooper who is turning four years old in late October. Busy mum Nicki is an entrepreneur who runs three small businesses. She recently picked up some raw dog food from a neighbour in the community listed on the OLIO app, because their dog suddenly decided it wasn’t for them anymore. Cooper on the other hand absolutely loved his OLIO-sourced dinner and was very happy. Nicki, who spends £70 a month on Cooper’s food said: “Not only did we save this unwanted food from the bin, it’s saved me quite a bit of cash too with Cooper being a 40kg dog, which has been brilliant. I’ve seen a big difference in my weekly shop since the cost of living crisis, so I’m stricter on sticking to a list more than usual at the moment, so picking extras on OLIO is great.”

OLIO is a local community app that connects neighbours with each other so they can give away, rather than throw away, spare food and other household items; and so they can lend and borrow everyday things instead of buying brand new.

Tessa Clarke, co-founder of OLIO said: “It’s clear that as a nation we consider our pets part of the family and we invest a great deal of love and energy into keeping them happy. Just like us though, our pets’ tastes change over time. When this happens, we’re encouraging all pet owners to share their spare toys, treats and food with their local community, on the OLIO app. With the cost of living crisis making caring for your pet more expensive than ever, this simple act can help pet parents throughout the UK, and it has a positive impact on the planet too.”

The research also found that 39 percent of pet parents let their pet sleep in bed with them every single night, with 29 percent admitting their furry friend now refuses to sleep in their own bed or basket. Almost two thirds (62 percent) even feed their pets by hand, scooping up the food to encourage them to eat.