In a development that should surprise absolutely no one who has recently priced a bag of cat food, the RSPCA's Medway West branch has launched a reduced-cost veterinary clinic for pet owners on low incomes or receiving benefits. The clinic treated 160 pets in its first 11 days, which is either a testament to its success or a damning indictment of the economic climate, depending on how cynical you're feeling. (Spoiler: we're feeling cynical.)

Chatham cat owner Christine Gardner, who has six cats, explained the grim arithmetic of modern pet ownership to the BBC: "Your pet would come first. You'd have a bit of toast yourself and pay out for your pet." She called having somewhere like the clinic nearby "amazing" and "just really good to have something nearby that I can get to." Toast, it should be noted, is not a recognised food group.

Angela Adams was even blunter about her priorities. "I would rather starve than they starve," she said of her menagerie, which consists of eight cats, two rabbits, four guinea pigs, two African land snails and a tortoise. Adams, who is unable to work for health reasons, said she did not know what she would do without her animals. "It's very expensive. Seven of my cats were due for vaccine this month and you can imagine the cost of that," she told the BBC. "That's a lot of money." She added that friends had been messaging her about their own struggles, making the clinic "brilliant for people."

RSPCA branch account manager Imara Ó Niocail noted that "a lot of people who were more than capable of affording to have these animals" are no longer able to care for them, thanks to the cost of living or a change in circumstances. The charity's goal, she said, is "to keep the animals at home with the owners and treat them there," allowing Medway pet owners to "seek the treatment that they need and then take the animals home" without paying full vet costs.

Medway West branch manager Kevin Morton said the charity's centres were "full-to-bursting" with animals, with some people surrendering their pets "because they can't afford to look after them." He pre-emptively addressed the inevitable armchair critics: "Some people might think that if you can't afford to feed it, then don't have it, but if it's your only companion you have, they can keep people going." A radical notion: pets as mental health support rather than luxury goods.

The branch has also been running a pet food bank, which in 2026 alone has supplied 18,909 food items, 1,294 treats and 919kg of biscuits. That's a lot of biscuits - roughly the weight of a small car, or one very ambitious tortoise.

The clinic's launch comes amid wider scrutiny of veterinary costs, including recent rule changes capping vet prescription fees and reports that vets are under corporate pressure to increase revenue. Because nothing says "love" like a quarterly earnings target.