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anyone else struggling for cat food?

34 replies

Orangejuicemarathoner · 25/09/2021 22:24

There is some locally, but mine are quite fussy, and its not like I can explain Brexit to them and appeal for flexibility....

I had all my hope pinned on a tesco delivery, but it has just arrived with the cat food component missing.

I hope this isn't going the same way as cat litter, which has been hit and miss for about 18 months.

OP posts:
mrsdavegrohl · 25/09/2021 22:30

I get an online company to deliver raw food roughly every 6/8 weeks. Last order time they had issues with packaging and the delivery was late. This time I can't get an order at all. Out of stock. My fat cat is not amused at all. I assumed it was company specific but maybe not

My little cat gets Cats Republic food subscription, she loves that and no issues as yet

FlyingFlamingo · 25/09/2021 22:32

We use Zooplus and haven’t had any issues, I’ve got an order on its way that I placed yesterday. Do they stock what you need?

I also buy direct from Blink and that came this morning

TurnUpTurnip · 25/09/2021 22:34

Nope lots in my Tesco’s

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EarthSun · 25/09/2021 22:45

Well judging by PPs my cat is poorly done by HmmWink but Aldi have been a bit sparse of late.

BarbaraofSeville · 26/09/2021 04:57

I've seen gaps in shops, but we get ours in bulk from Zooplus or Costco anyway, and they've had no issues, probably helped by Zooplus, as part of it's Brexit preparedness strategy, doubling its warehouse capacity, as it sells a lot of imported brands, so obviously foresaw the potential difficulties.

But we have 4 cats of our own and also foster, so are usually feeding around 8 cats, so it's worthwhile for us anyway.

Might not be a convenient option if you only have one or two, unless you're confident your cat won't take the arrival of several week's worth of it's favourite food as a cue to decide it won't eat it any more. But Zooplus do sell litter, so you could also get that delivered to make up the minimum order amount or even avoid the postage cost.

But I agree that it's harder with cats to ride out the 'well it doesn't exist in the shops so you'll have to make do with something different' problem because if you give them something that they decide they don't want today, they just won't eat it and make sure you know you've failed them.

It's one of those things that, unless you really don't have the money and/or space, this issue can be mitigated by not operating a just in time system yourself, because it exposes you to the weaknesses of the shops' just in time systems.

So instead of keeping little or nothing in stock, and buying what you need week to week, keep a small storecupboard of non perishable essentials (eg 2-4 weeks worth) and keep that topped up with your weekly shop. So if there's any time you can't get something, you just keep using up your stock, and hopefully you can buy double next time.

We've always shopped that way, mainly to take advantage of special offers and lower prices on bigger packs, and it doesn't take up much space or money, and is actually far cheaper in the long run.

BarbaraofSeville · 26/09/2021 05:05

@EarthSun

Well judging by PPs my cat is poorly done by HmmWink but Aldi have been a bit sparse of late.
I don't think the cost of the food is something that they appreciate.

I'd very much like our cats to happily eat one of the mid price high meat foods sold by Zooplus, such as Carny, Smilla or Bozita, because it's better for them, and comes in cans instead of non recyclable plastic pouches* and it's probably cheaper than their usual Felix AGAIL, but they generally won't, although they did want it this morning as they ploughed through the Smilla I'd got ready for the semi feral who lives in the garden. Little fuckers.

We've had the Aldi food in the past, and it was generally received favourably, especially the individual foil trays, but I think they got bored of it.

*I know you can send them off somewhere, but I'm not washing and drying dozens of plastic pouches each week, collecting them up and driving them to a collection point when they can go in my city's incinerator. I do recycle their dry food bags at the vets.

pussycatlickinglollyices · 26/09/2021 05:48

Tesco nearly always have loads of Whiskas in, so do Asda and Morrisons, but I've given up on Sainsburys. When the first lockdown happened, someone had cleared the shelves overnight (pasta, loo rolls, beans and Whiskas?!) so we ordered some from Pets at Home.
Zooplus are ok, but delivery takes ages. I got some new scratchy posts from All Pet Solutions and they delivered pretty quickly, not sure what food brands they stock.

Tesco always have poor stocks of litter going into autumn (they have for at least 3 or 4 yrs now) so during summer we've bought enough to give us a couple of weeks "buffer" (extra bag a week) this week they had none on Monday - not even the expensive stuff!

HeronLanyon · 26/09/2021 06:03

Oo er - cat food supply issues - will this be what finally tips us over the fast approaching ‘edge’?
Don’t have cats now but I do remember well wishing I hadn’t slipped without noticing into a place where they would only eat a certain type which used to have supply issues. Support all.

Catawaul · 26/09/2021 07:05

I've had issues over the past couple of months with no cat food in supermarket deliveries, sometimes not even a substitute. Litter has been okay though.

Orangejuicemarathoner · 26/09/2021 08:39

Thanks for the helpful suggestions. Ill certainly be trying some of these alternatives.

OP posts:
Autumngoldleaf · 26/09/2021 09:04

Barbara apparently other countries encourage citizens to have a week or two weeks supplies in at all times to cover any emergency and it seems like a good stragety.

We can bulk buy now but as ever you need money to save money, and tyere have been times when we couldn't bulk buy.

So just adding one tin a week is also a good stragety to put aside.

BarbaraofSeville · 26/09/2021 09:13

A storecupboard is something you build up to over time, starting ideally well before you need it, ie not in the middle of a global pandemic combined with the Brexit fallout.

One extra tin (or packet of pasta etc) a week is a good place to start, buy a big pack when you see something on offer, that sort of thing and after a while you find you need toilet rolls one week, beans the next, washing powder the week after, then shampoo, and it all kind of looks after itself.

It's how I've always done it as it makes sense to me, there's a whole list of non perishables that I've never paid full price for and when I hear about people who have set list that they buy week to week, like 4 toilet rolls and one tin of beans a week instead of a 16 pack of toilet roll and 4 pack of beans once a month where the unit cost far cheaper, it seems a strange way to do things (and these are not people who don't have the money or space for a few extra groceries).

TotallyKerplunked · 26/09/2021 09:15

I've just had a big delivery of cat food from Amazon. They have limited brands available but it arrived the next day.

gogohm · 26/09/2021 09:37

Plenty in Sainsbury's yesterday

Vinorosso74 · 26/09/2021 09:41

I did a Zooplus order for our cat a couple of week ago and they didn't have all the flavours of the wet food he has. I don't know how bothered he is by a lack of variety, he just wants food!

Clarinet53 · 26/09/2021 09:47

Went to Tesco last night and no dry food other than go cat which my girls turn their nose up at.

Hoping to find some tomorrow is I can find some diesel to be able to do my job tomorrow 🙄

It's all a bit of a mess !

Mangozesty · 26/09/2021 09:48

I've got 2 cats who know if they don't eat their perfectly adequate food, the dog will. Works a treat Grin

WhatsitWiggle · 26/09/2021 09:49

Ours is on a vet prescribed diet which means online / vet purchasing only, no supermarkets. Last year, when the pandemic hit, I bought extra on the basis we could adapt to whatever was in the shops, but the cat couldn't. I now always buy 2 months at a time.

This time round, DH was in charge of buying, he waited until only 2 weeks worth of food left only to find they've changed the formula and it was out of stock. Pets at home was available but they cancelled the order the day it was due to be delivered! Eventually managed to get some when cat was down to her last meal.

Zeal · 26/09/2021 09:50

I was just about to go online and order some cat food, but then I notice he has chewed up the mouse.

pussycatlickinglollyices · 26/09/2021 10:49

@Zeal

I was just about to go online and order some cat food, but then I notice he has chewed up the mouse.
He must be really hungry!
sueelleker · 26/09/2021 10:50

Not cats, but dogs; I've been having trouble getting Pedigree Chum Senior pouches since the first lockdown. I used to just order them with my regular shopping on-line, but I've taken to grabbing extra whenever I see them. Luckily my dogs aren't fussy, but I prefer to stick with one brand when I can.

thecatsthecats · 26/09/2021 11:25

@BarbaraofSeville

A storecupboard is something you build up to over time, starting ideally well before you need it, ie not in the middle of a global pandemic combined with the Brexit fallout.

One extra tin (or packet of pasta etc) a week is a good place to start, buy a big pack when you see something on offer, that sort of thing and after a while you find you need toilet rolls one week, beans the next, washing powder the week after, then shampoo, and it all kind of looks after itself.

It's how I've always done it as it makes sense to me, there's a whole list of non perishables that I've never paid full price for and when I hear about people who have set list that they buy week to week, like 4 toilet rolls and one tin of beans a week instead of a 16 pack of toilet roll and 4 pack of beans once a month where the unit cost far cheaper, it seems a strange way to do things (and these are not people who don't have the money or space for a few extra groceries).

My husband excitedly bought us three year's worth of nappy bags. We use them for de-cat pooping the lawn.

I simply can't understand the monotony of doing a weekly shop for loo rolls, toothpaste etc if you can afford not to.

My end game is a garage 'shop' filled with a deep freezer for meat, every purchase we can imagine and a garden supplying fresh veg and herbs. One big shop a year, and occasionally nipping to the store for more veg and milk.

I can dream, anyway.

TheCategoryIs · 26/09/2021 11:52

I’ve definitely noticed empty shelves in the cat food aisle all of this year but have been able to get what our little prince likes from various online outlets including Zooplus and Wilkos.

SwedishEdith · 26/09/2021 11:55

We're struggling with our cat.Very fussy, only really likes one particular brand which is often completely out of stock in Sainsbury's. So, yes, it may look like some shops have plenty in but if it's not the brand your cat likes, you're struggling.

MrsPelligrinoPetrichor · 26/09/2021 11:57

Yes,can't find our one in jelly at all anymore,just in gravy. Fortunately the Aldi one seems to fit the bill so he's having a combination of both .

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