US Politics | I skip hot meals and washing my hair just so my cats can eat
A CAT lover has told how he skips hot meals and doesn't wash his hair just so his feline friends can eat. Brits have been facing soaring prices and rocketing bills \- but Colin Ortutai-Hughes, 45, from Brent, London, is putting his cats Molly, Max, and their three newborn kittens first. 
MirrorpixColin Ortutai-Hughes, 45, from Brent, North West London with one of his cats '/ ' 
He goes above and beyond for his petsMirrorpix He had been made homeless back in April when he was kicked out of his flat by his landlord, and was forced to spend weeks with his pets in his car. Now he has found a new flat \- but is still struggling to make ends meet. Colin told the Mirror: ...All of a sudden everything shot up. Cat food went from £3.60 to £4.10 \- we're not talking pennies. "I shop with a budget and have to recalculate what I should put back on the shelf.... RED MORE ON MONEY 
THE SUN SAYS UK's worst-off need direct help with energy bills, tax cuts will not be enough ...I don't buy certain things I need otherwise the cats won't get fed. I always put them before myself because it's not their fault.... Colin suffers from osteoarthritis, a painful condition which affects 8.5million Brits, meaning he struggles to work. He stretches every penny by budgeting \- and does odd jobs for family in exchange for cat food. He explained: ...If I budget for the week Monday to Friday, I can allow myself two hot meals. Most read in News SEARCH ENDS Missing hiker, 29, found after being swept to her death in Utah flash floods RAINING HELL Terrifying moment flesh-melting 'thermite bombs' rain down on Ukrainian town HAUNTING CALL Chilling words of missing woman, 22, before she vanished revealed by family TRAGIC MEMORIES Kiely Rodni's family are trying to sell lodge where teen was raised HEARTBREAKING FIND Tragic death of missing teen Kiely Rodni, 16, confirmed after body found DEATH TO THE WEST Russia threatens West with nuclear war & vows to prepare BOMB SHELTERS "If I need shampoo, I'll use that last bit in the bottle until next week.... But despite the added stress of having more mouths to feed, Colin says he will never give up his pets. He said: ...I can't even think what I'd do without my cats. I need them there. "It's lonely enough as it is. I wouldn't be able to cope alone.... Colin has now learnt tips and tricks that help keep the cats' costs low. Sharing his advice for others, he said: ...Week by week, check the prices and shop around if you can. You'd be surprised where you can find food cheaper \- places like B&M sell cat food. How to get help if you're struggling It's worth double checking if you're getting all the benefits you're entitled to to make sure you're not missing out on extra income. You can use a free benefits checker to check what you're entitled to, but note that it is a guide only. Charity Turn2Us' benefits calculator works out what means-tested benefits you might be entitled to, as well as whether you qualify for carers allowance. It doesn't calculate non-means tested and contributory benefits, but it will include these in your results if you already recieve them. Entitledto's free calculator checks whether you qualify for multiple benefits, tax credits and Universal Credit, but you have to register an account. If you don't want to register, consumer group MoneySavingExpert.com and charity StepChange also have benefits tools powered by Entitledto's data that let you save your results without making an account. Or you can use Policy in Practice's calculator to not only find out which benefits you could receive as well as find out how much cash you'll have leftover each month after paying for housing costs. If you're not eligible for benefits, you may still be able to make the most of other government schemes. For example, the Household Support Fund (HSF) has a pot of £500million to be dished out by October 2022, but you have to make a claim for a slice of the free cash from your local council. The help you can get depends on your local council, but many are giving out food and fuel vouchers as well as free school meal vouchers. If you are a parent or expectant mum on a low income or benefits, you could be entitled to Healthy Start vouchers which give you up to £442 a year towards food. We explain everything you need to know about the Healthy Start scheme. If the HSF or Healthy Start Vouchers aren't applicable to you, you may be able to seek help from a food bank. Find your nearest one by typing your postcode into the online search bar on The Trussell Trust's website. You'll need to be referred by one of your local community organisations as you can't make a claim at a food bank yourself. "With cat litter, I used to buy the cheap one but it's actually more cost effective to buy the expensive one because it lasts longer. Tinned food is cheaper than pouches because four pouches can make up one tin.... He also received help from an animal charity while he was homeless, when Molly, 2, went missing. He said: ...I was already having to deal with the shock of being told to move out of my home by what I now understand was an alleged rogue letting agency, so losing Molly was the final straw. But after five days Molly returned \- and Colin rushed her to Mayhew Animal Hospital where welfare officers came to her rescue. She said: ...I don't know what I would've done. I didn't have any food left for the cats. ...They came out with these massive 5kg bags of cat food, gave us blankets, lent us a box. "They were so friendly. They found places for the kittens and said that even if I move, if I get desperate for food I can come back any time....
MirrorpixColin Ortutai-Hughes, 45, from Brent, North West London with one of his cats '/ ' He goes above and beyond for his petsMirrorpix He had been made homeless back in April when he was kicked out of his flat by his landlord, and was forced to spend weeks with his pets in his car. Now he has found a new flat \- but is still struggling to make ends meet. Colin told the Mirror: ...All of a sudden everything shot up. Cat food went from £3.60 to £4.10 \- we're not talking pennies. "I shop with a budget and have to recalculate what I should put back on the shelf.... RED MORE ON MONEY THE SUN SAYS UK's worst-off need direct help with energy bills, tax cuts will not be enough ...I don't buy certain things I need otherwise the cats won't get fed. I always put them before myself because it's not their fault.... Colin suffers from osteoarthritis, a painful condition which affects 8.5million Brits, meaning he struggles to work. He stretches every penny by budgeting \- and does odd jobs for family in exchange for cat food. He explained: ...If I budget for the week Monday to Friday, I can allow myself two hot meals. Most read in News SEARCH ENDS Missing hiker, 29, found after being swept to her death in Utah flash floods RAINING HELL Terrifying moment flesh-melting 'thermite bombs' rain down on Ukrainian town HAUNTING CALL Chilling words of missing woman, 22, before she vanished revealed by family TRAGIC MEMORIES Kiely Rodni's family are trying to sell lodge where teen was raised HEARTBREAKING FIND Tragic death of missing teen Kiely Rodni, 16, confirmed after body found DEATH TO THE WEST Russia threatens West with nuclear war & vows to prepare BOMB SHELTERS "If I need shampoo, I'll use that last bit in the bottle until next week.... But despite the added stress of having more mouths to feed, Colin says he will never give up his pets. He said: ...I can't even think what I'd do without my cats. I need them there. "It's lonely enough as it is. I wouldn't be able to cope alone.... Colin has now learnt tips and tricks that help keep the cats' costs low. Sharing his advice for others, he said: ...Week by week, check the prices and shop around if you can. You'd be surprised where you can find food cheaper \- places like B&M sell cat food. How to get help if you're struggling It's worth double checking if you're getting all the benefits you're entitled to to make sure you're not missing out on extra income. You can use a free benefits checker to check what you're entitled to, but note that it is a guide only. Charity Turn2Us' benefits calculator works out what means-tested benefits you might be entitled to, as well as whether you qualify for carers allowance. It doesn't calculate non-means tested and contributory benefits, but it will include these in your results if you already recieve them. Entitledto's free calculator checks whether you qualify for multiple benefits, tax credits and Universal Credit, but you have to register an account. If you don't want to register, consumer group MoneySavingExpert.com and charity StepChange also have benefits tools powered by Entitledto's data that let you save your results without making an account. Or you can use Policy in Practice's calculator to not only find out which benefits you could receive as well as find out how much cash you'll have leftover each month after paying for housing costs. If you're not eligible for benefits, you may still be able to make the most of other government schemes. For example, the Household Support Fund (HSF) has a pot of £500million to be dished out by October 2022, but you have to make a claim for a slice of the free cash from your local council. The help you can get depends on your local council, but many are giving out food and fuel vouchers as well as free school meal vouchers. If you are a parent or expectant mum on a low income or benefits, you could be entitled to Healthy Start vouchers which give you up to £442 a year towards food. We explain everything you need to know about the Healthy Start scheme. If the HSF or Healthy Start Vouchers aren't applicable to you, you may be able to seek help from a food bank. Find your nearest one by typing your postcode into the online search bar on The Trussell Trust's website. You'll need to be referred by one of your local community organisations as you can't make a claim at a food bank yourself. "With cat litter, I used to buy the cheap one but it's actually more cost effective to buy the expensive one because it lasts longer. Tinned food is cheaper than pouches because four pouches can make up one tin.... He also received help from an animal charity while he was homeless, when Molly, 2, went missing. He said: ...I was already having to deal with the shock of being told to move out of my home by what I now understand was an alleged rogue letting agency, so losing Molly was the final straw. But after five days Molly returned \- and Colin rushed her to Mayhew Animal Hospital where welfare officers came to her rescue. She said: ...I don't know what I would've done. I didn't have any food left for the cats. ...They came out with these massive 5kg bags of cat food, gave us blankets, lent us a box. "They were so friendly. They found places for the kittens and said that even if I move, if I get desperate for food I can come back any time....
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