A wild cat relaxes on a rock at Mount Bukhan against the background of western Seoul on Jan. 27, 2021. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, Oct. 5 (Korea Bizwire) — With the cost of pet food jumping to new highs, stray cats and other animals sheltered at smaller protection facilities are taking a hit.
A 53-year-old resident of Yongsan District in Seoul, surnamed Park, consulted with the members of the local cat moms (who feed stray or abandoned cats) community to raise the monthly membership fee by 10,000 won (US$7.06), which is the second increase this year.
“A canned cat food priced at 4,000 won jumped to 6,400 won and a bag of pet food priced at 39,000 won jumped to 45,000 won. We don’t have much of a choice,” Park said.
“We don’t complain, because it’s something we like to do. But it is getting a lot pricier.”
Private protection facilities, too, are struggling due to plunging donations from animal food manufacturers.
“We have been getting fewer food donations, and food costs have been on the rise,” an official at a local stray cat protection center said. “We are worried that this will continue for a while.”
They said the cost of imported food jumped the highest, largely due to the rising cost of raw materials and the unfavorable exchange rate.
For animals suffering from malnutrition, however, feeding cheaper domestic food isn’t an option.
Animal rights activists said that supporting smaller, private protection facilities, rather than larger animal protection agencies or getting support from local public agencies will better help the animals.
Lina Jang (linajang@koreabizwire.com)
