A single mother has revealed how she would rather starve than give her five cats up for adoption amid the ongoing cost of living crisis.
Miari Workman, 50, lives in Cardiff with her nine-year-old daughter, older son and beloved pets.
The cat-lover has owned her rescue Bootsie since before the outbreak, but siblings Lucy, Les, Wolfie and Lunar are all recent additions to the family.
The mother-of-two – who claims Personal Independence Payment due to depression – says her cats simply get a box of dry food every day.
As a result, Miari pays £35-a-week for their food alone and cannot guarantee them. However, all her pets are neutered and microchipped.
She said that ever since the cost of living problem started, Miari has run out of food to feed her pets.
She explained: ‘I sometimes go without food to feed my cats.
I never get rid of my cats, they are my family.
If I have to use food banks to support them, that’s what I do.
“I’m not ashamed, these things should be used. People should stop being ashamed and just walk away.”
In the past few months, Miari says she has had ‘skinny weeks’ where she relies on loved ones for help.
She said: ‘My friends took my daughter and she had a great time.
They put their hands in their pockets so she could go on a journey. If I have money and I don’t have someone, I will help them.’
Despite her recent financial struggles, Miari says she tries to ‘worry’ her children.
“I try not to worry about it so my daughter doesn’t,” she added.
‘Children can understand these things.’
Although she doesn’t pay for her cats’ pet insurance, Miari said she doesn’t think twice about taking them to the vet if they have to go.
She said, ‘It’s a pet, it’s part of the family. Family means everything to me.”