Saving money on pets

[annibe11e]

Any money saving ideas for pets? Specifically cats?

I have two cats and all I really buy for them regularly is cat food and kitty litter. I'm wondering if there is a good alternative to store bought cat litter. I know Aldi has some cheap and I want to try it, but it comes in the 14 lb. jugs and I hate to go through all that plastic. Any homemade ideas that aren't too gross? Or bulk buys?

Also, has anyone bought or considered buying health insurance for their pet? I looked into it a bit after my cat needed emergency surgery and I remember thinking I was better off just having a pet emergency fund.

[drip445]

If you have an extra bathroom, you can teach your cats to go directly into a toilet. I have a friend that has done it. It seems strange, but they have a bathroom that was rarely used. No more cat litter purchases at all.

[hamchan]

Haven't found an alternative to buying litter at the store, but we buy cat food on Amazon for almost half the price. We buy at least $25 at a time and get free shipping.

[FrugalSensei]

For food and litter the wholesale stores like Sam's Club BJ's Wholesale and Costco are good. Next choice after that would be department stores like Walmart and Target. If you can get free shipping then Amazon does indeed feature some great prices. I would actually go just about anywhere except a pet store for litter and food. They seem to be pricey in those areas but then again I'm looking for the cheap stuff anyway - not organic, no extra healthy stuff or super green (environmental) products - just the cheap and commonly available litters and food brands.

Buying in bulk s definitely the way to go. It's almost half the price if bought in smaller quantities.

As for health insurance, check the web. There are many choices ranging from $5-75 per month depending on what kind of coverage you want and what you set your deductible at. There are some insurance policies that are designed to cover accidents only or some that cover everything including spaying/neutering. Check out these sites. I'm not endorsing either but did consider both a good source of information:

• http://www.petinsurance.com/pet-insurance-reviews.aspx
• http://www.topconsumerreviews.com/pet-insurance/

[FrugalSensei]

Oops, noticed some typos belatedly. I previously said "Buying in bulk s definitely the way to go. It's almost half the price if bought in smaller quantities." Let me re-phrase that by saying that bulk is cheaper without question. You can get almost twice as much for just a little more money than you would spend on a smaller bag. This is true for both litter and dried food. Canned food is usually cheaper at the wholesale membership stores but occasionally the supermarkets and department stores feature better prices via great sales. Always something to keep an eye out for.

[annibe11e]

If you have an extra bathroom, you can teach your cats to go directly into a toilet. I have a friend that has done it. It seems strange, but they have a bathroom that was rarely used. No more cat litter purchases at all.

I'm actually planning to do this after I buy a house! Right now, I would have to share a bathroom with the cats and that seems creepy.

[scfr]

You probably already do this, but focus on needs first. Quality food, litter, veterinary care. A few toys for mental stimulation, but they don't need a ton. I'm sure there is some dog or cat somewhere who actually NEEDS clothing due to some medical condition, but I've yet to meet one. (I have met a couple who have mobility issues and boots on the back feet give them much-needed traction ... that's not what I'm talking about. The cutesy stuff they can live without.)

Check a warehouse store like Costco for litter & food. Costco also now sells preventatives, but if your cats are strictly indoors you probably don't use them. (I never did for my indoor cats.)

When I started budgeting, I included a "Pet" category where I posted more than their minimum needs, and let it build up in to a nice Pet EF. Over the years it was used for a wide variety of veterinary expenses.

When/if surgery is needed, if you have a good veterinary school in your area check to see if they will perform it. We live in Austin and drove our late dog over to Texas A&M in College Station for surgery once. Not only did we pay less, but the surgery was performed by the man who was an expert in the field and had taught the procedure to many veterinary students.

[gabby169kitty]

I spend $6/month on food and about $2.50/month for litter.

Miss Gabby gets Taste of The Wild grain free food. It's premium quality stuff. Gabby is only 8 pounds so she needs just 1/3 cup/day to maintain her weight.

I was using Tidy Cat 24/7 clumping litter for around $11until I found a grocery store brand, 25 lb for $5! It works just as well, no odor and tight non-crumbly clumps. The no odor is very important because I live in a 1 bedroom apartment. I used the litter from Aldi and hated it! The clumps remained wet and were crumbly. I've tried other cheap litters and had the same wetand crumbly issue. I like how the stuff from the grocery store comes in a bag. I pour it into one of the old Tidy Cats pails.

[annibe11e]

What store?

[Baggio]

More saving tips

I think the biggest expenses boil down to two things: food and health.

In terms of food, we make our home made meals for our dog (noticed this thread was on "pets" but apparently more cat owners than dog owners here ), so we save up quite a bit on that every month. Stay away from the shelved pet food pet companies offer...most of them are terrible to your dog's health in the long run.

In terms of health, our Golden, Lucky, is relatively healthy, so we don't really take him to the doctor all that often (but can't say the same thing when he was a pup...paid REGULAR visits to the local vet). Anyway, we do have pet insurance with Pet Plan, it's just for comfort, but it does give me some peace knowing that Lucky's covered. It's not terribly expensive either, so I definitely recommend everyone checking it out.

Cheers

[Baggio]

More saving tips

I think the biggest expenses boil down to two things: food and health.

In terms of food, we make our home made meals for our dog (noticed this thread was on "pets" but apparently more cat owners than dog owners here ), so we save up quite a bit on that every month. Stay away from the shelved pet food pet companies offer...most of them are terrible to your dog's health in the long run.

In terms of health, our Golden, Lucky, is relatively healthy, so we don't really take him to the doctor all that often (but can't say the same thing when he was a pup...paid REGULAR visits to the local vet). Anyway, we do have pet insurance with Pet Plan, it's just for comfort, but it does give me some peace knowing that Lucky's covered. It's not terribly expensive either, so I definitely recommend everyone checking it out.

petinsurancedirect .net

Cheers

[samsam]

- I use dry cat food so that I can store cat food for a long time
- Some time I do cat food myself
- I use cat food coupons to save

[mppaul271]

Just discovered Pet Wellness Clinic.. What a difference in price for vaccinations and treatments. I put $25 a week into a savings account for Vet expenses and $12 a week for grooming. My Shih Tzu Nutmeg is small dog and a 4lb box of food last her 3-4 months.

[Starry436]

Invest in pet insurance if it's worth it for your situation. My dog is 15 and I spend $300 a month on costly medications that she must have. If I had known the insurance was available four years ago when my other dog needed $200 insulin I surely would've bought it. I've also found that Fresh step litter works best for my cat and we invested in a litter genie trashcan so we can just scoop the clumps daily while controlling smell. That bag of litter has lasted 5 months so far.

[doingitallwrong]

You might look into using wood pellets instead of clay litter. They do make wood pellet cat litter, but you can get the same stuff from Tractor Supply-type stores as equine pellet bedding, or from the home improvement store as wood stove fuel. The equine bedding is usually 100%, so it's more absorbent and odor-controlling, but lots of people use the 'fuel' type pellets without problems. (Make sure they are 100% natural, of course, supposedly some will have accellerants added.) They're typically around $5 for a 40-lb bag of either.

Also, regardless of what your vet might tell you, pets do not need to be vaccinated every year. They should get an annual wellness visit, but yearly shots are a thing of the past. Do a search for "AAHA vaccination guidelines" for the most recent recommendations from the American Association of Animal Hospitals. Depending on the pet, the vet, and how many you have, this can save $100 a year or more.