Seven euros for a can of cat food at Lidl

The 7-euro can of cat food that says a lot about today's consumption

In a Lidl queue, a man in his fifties paid 7 euros for a can of cat food. The fact, which might seem anecdotal, sums up a paradox: the price of a basic pet product is approaching that of a set lunch. And what looks like an excess has more readings than it seems.

Why can a can cost 7 euros?

Weight matters: a standard 85-gram can usually costs around 2 euros, which means more than 20 euros per kilo. That figure far exceeds the price of many fresh foods. However, there is a market for specialised food - for sterilised cats, with vitamins, for convalescents - that allows prices like the one seen in the supermarket. The brand and the store play a determining role, as one analyst points out.

The irony of cat food

The discussion goes beyond price. Some argue that, in lean times, this can could be a nutritious alternative, even more balanced than that of many restaurants. Others see in the gesture a sign of the silent inflation that creeps into products that don't make the headlines. And there is no shortage of ironic takes: whoever invests in feeding their cat well is, deep down, preparing a nutritional insurance policy for tough times.

The Lidl scene is not just a curious anecdote. It is a thermometer of how the price of essentials is soaring and how far consumers' justifications go. Meanwhile, the question remains open: how much are we willing to pay for what we eat, whether for humans or for cats?