Dogs might be man’s best friend, but it’s actually cats who benefit more when people loosen their purr-se strings.
This National Pet Month, we’ve released data showing just how much Monzo customers love their furry friends and how much they spend on them. They’re saving £68 a month on average into their Pets Pots, which is twice as much as they’re paying into personal treat funds for health and beauty.
Like cats who got the cream, felines get a greater share of money than their canine counterparts. Not only are people creating cat Pots at a faster rate than dog Pots, but the average customer also deposits £50 more each month into Pots for their cats than their dogs – £151 for cats and £101 for dogs.
The rising cost of living is affecting pet owners too. Pet charity PDSA found that almost a fifth of pet owners are cutting back on essentials for themselves to afford their pet’s care.
One cat-lover who factors her felines into her monthly budget is Gemma York, 31, a university careers adviser based in Plymouth who lives with her two rescue cats: Marmite and Twiglet. She adopted the pair in late 2021, after they were found abandoned.
“They are spoilt, but I love them so much and wouldn’t have it any other way.”
As Gemma works from home, the playful pair receive constant love from their cat mum. Being house cats, Gemma makes sure the duo are constantly entertained and they even have their own toy box.
“My downstairs looks like a Pets At Home catalogue, it’s absolutely brimming with toys and cat trees.”
Gemma says this is “probably because whenever I do actually go shopping for necessary items like food, I can’t help but leave with treats for the girls.”
While she surprises Marmite and Twiglet with a new toy or bed roughly once a month, the pair have favourite toys they always come back to. “I bought Twiglet a set of sushi plushies and there’s one that she’s absolutely obsessed with and carries around everywhere. Sometimes, she brings it over to me as a present, which is so sweet,” says Gemma.
“They’re quite fussy with food, so I buy nutritious, good-quality meals I know they eat and then bulk up their diets with snacks.”
The cat-lover also makes sure she buys the best food for the pair. True to her name, Marmite absolutely loves marmite, and both cats have a penchant for ham too.
“Cat food is the item in my basket that I've noticed has gone up the most in price,” says Gemma. “It’s doubled in the last year. Twiglet can be fussy with her food so I’ve started buying the wet food they really like and they are eating more dry food to reduce the cost.”
Treats and food can quickly add up. And that’s in addition to necessary costs like their Pet Plans, insurance and grooming – Twiglet is long-haired and regularly requires trips to the salon for a trim. Gemma splits her cat costs, which amount to roughly £120 a month, into four Monzo Pots: Vet and Medical Bills, Grooming, Cat Litter and Food, and Treats.
This ensures she has enough money set aside for any vet visits and lets her save for bigger purchases, like a new £300 cat tree.
As well food costs, the cats’ insurance and Healthy Pets Club monthly payments have increased. “I’ve started adding more to their Monzo pots to cover this and amending my budget in other areas,” Gemma adds.
“Monzo has been an absolute lifesaver, and I’m really strict about making sure I set aside money each month.”
Gemma’s monthly savings were particularly useful recently when Twiglet had an unexpected vet visit which cost £56. Luckily, she had the money to hand when she needed to foot the bill.
“I’ve actually hidden my Vet Pot as I don’t want to be tempted to dip into it, as I put the most money into this each month. I also have round ups turned on for it, which really adds up too,” she adds.