A pet food bank saved me from having to give up my cats

Chris Forrest feared helium would person to springiness up his beloved cats due to the fact that helium could nary longer spend to provender them.

So the 43-year-old was "very relieved" erstwhile helium discovered a favored nutrient slope was being acceptable up successful his neighbourhood.

"I would spell without truthful my boys had food," helium said.

"They are similar my children and I don't cognize what I would bash if I were to suffer them. I'm welling up conscionable reasoning astir it."

Chris, who lives successful Granton successful Edinburgh, has 4 antheral cats - 2 five-year-old brothers called Galaxy and Shadow, and 2 four-year-olds called Leo and Sol.

He is connected employment and enactment allowance arsenic helium is incapable to enactment owed to terrible anxiousness and depression.

Chris told BBC Scotland that his pets assistance with his intelligence health.

"The cats support maine going - they interact with maine and get maine up successful the greeting arsenic they request fed.

"I'm successful a overmuch amended spot having them, I'm much chilled retired and relaxed.

"They are truthful loving and springiness maine cuddles and I burst retired laughing watching them play together."

When Chris' benefits were chopped aft the Covid pandemic, helium disquieted astir however helium was going to provender his cats.

So helium went to the Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home and they gave him favored food.

They person present acceptable up 66 favored nutrient banks successful assemblage centres crossed cardinal Scotland, the Lothians and the Scottish Borders.

These are tally by Mike Dougan, the Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home's assemblage outreach and improvement manager.

He started the task erstwhile helium discovered radical were sharing the nutrient they got from nutrient banks with their pets.

"A favored is portion of the household and each favored we tin provender is simply a favored that tin enactment successful a loving, warm, harmless location without fear," helium said.

No voucher is needed to person nutrient for pets, and they besides supply leads, toys, balls, bowls, harnesses and adjacent carnal climbing frames.

Chris said helium had initially been excessively embarrassed to spell for "a handout".

But helium said: "Mike puts you astatine ease. He inspires happiness and is an unthinkable feline who is worthy his value successful golden and helps you successful immoderate mode helium can.

"If it wasn't for the favored nutrient slope I would person had to deliberation astir giving up my cats, which would person had a detrimental effect connected my intelligence health.

"The favored nutrient slope is simply a lifeline. I get truthful overmuch from my cats, their cuddles marque my time amended and I speech to them much than I bash humans."

Chris said helium lone had to archer Mike however galore pets helium had, and helium worked retired however overmuch nutrient would beryllium needed.

"A large portion of wherefore I'm sick comes from the accent of fiscal worries," added Chris.

"I can't deliberation of thing worse than worrying astir however you are going to provender your pets.

"So present adjacent erstwhile I'm abbreviated of money, I cognize I tin provender my boys."