Our pets are important members of our families. We all want to keep them happy and healthy, but sometimes, that's not easy to do on a budget. Here are a few ideas that have helped me save money and still give my pets what they need.
As stewards of this earth and all that live in it, we have a responsibility to treat all God's creatures with kindness and compassion. We are to care for and protect the helpless and make wise decisions concerning the welfare of our own pets and any others that may come into our lives. The reward for this is a true and faithful friendship, gratitude and a love that will brighten even your worst day.
First of all, if your pet is not spayed or neutered this is something that should be taken care of as soon as possible. You may wonder how this can be a money saving tip. Actually this one thing alone can save you hundreds of dollars! Cats and dogs can have two litters each year for several years. When you consider the cost of food, flea treatments and worming alone you can have quite a bit invested in each litter. Finding suitable, loving homes for each of these babies is not always easy and keeping them all is not practical for most people. The total amount you will spend on a spay or neuter procedure will be well worth the money for you and will certainly be a better option for your pet.
Check your newspaper for local spay / neuter clinics in your area. You can get the same services for a fraction of the usual cost at these clinics. Also look on the internet or call local vet offices to get information on any other discounts that may be available. Before you commit to a surgery, even at a lower cost, be sure that your pet will be supervised and will receive pain medication. Never subject your pet to unnecessary suffering to save money.
There are discount stores that carry pet collars, leashes and toys. When I find a bargain on something that my dogs or cats will enjoy or may need in the near future I go ahead and get it at the discounted price and put it away until I need it. Collars break and toys get lost or chewed up. Your supply will come in handy sooner than you might think.
My pets also enjoy home-made toys. Sock toys are a favorite among my dogs. When one of our socks gets a hole in it I tie a knot in the middle and it becomes a toy. I also use old socks to make bed buddies for my dogs.
For my cats I have a scratching post made from a cut off tree limb with several forks. It is stuck down in the hole in a single square concrete block to hold it in place. From the forks I have hung a red piece of
cord with jingle bells tied to it, plastic milk lids attached to a string, and a plastic ball that swings in the breeze. Several of my cats love this! They also like to play with the plastic safety rings and the lids of milk containers.
Look for homemade goody recipes for your pets at the library or on the internet. Often you can make their treats at home for a much lower cost than you can buy them. You can also use some types of leftovers for treats. For dogs: pizza crust; pie crust; a piece of pound cake; a meat skin or other chip; a hotdog cut into pieces. For cats: the leftovers from breakfast - eggs, bacon or sausage; plain yogurt or cottage cheese. There are other things suitable for your pets to enjoy as treats that won't be an extra expense for you. Be sure not to give your pets anything that is very salty or very sweet.
Kitty litter can also be a big expense, especially if you have a multi-cat household like we do. Look for store brand clay litter, sometimes you can find a good sale price or a buy one get one free. Pine pellets are a good buy. They are a little more expensive than clay litter but they last much longer and absorb odor better than regular litter.
For the last few months I have been taking the inexpensive route! I have a friend who does extreme couponing and she saves her newspapers for me. I tear the newspapers into strips and fill the litter boxes. Of course paper, even though it absorbs moisture, does not absorb odor so I sprinkle a little baking soda in the bottom of the box or crumble some dried peppermint leaves in before adding the paper.
To dispose of the used paper litter I use shopping / grocery bags. Just dump it in and tie up the bag. This utilizes the bags you would probably have trashed anyway and eliminates the litter odor in your garbage can.
Disinfecting wipes are convenient but they cost a little more than using plain paper towels dipped in bleach. I buy a few inexpensive rolls of paper towels and sale priced bleach. After emptying the shredded paper litter I wipe the bottom of the litter box to kill germs and prevent odor. It only takes a minute to dry and I have a sanitary litter box to refill and return to its usual spot.
Flea treatments can be expensive but they are necessary. Fleas can make your pets miserable. They bite and make sores and the more the animal scratches to relieve the itching, the more irritated their skin becomes. One of my dogs is allergic to fleas and everywhere she gets bitten there will be a red puffy sore. I have found that adding a half cup of apple cider vinegar to her bath water kills many of the fleas and helps heal the sores.
These are also good flea repellants - minced garlic added several times a week to a dog's food (NEVER GIVE GARLIC TO A CAT); any kind of citrus juice rubbed into your pet's fur; and essential oil of peppermint. You can make a spray by boiling peppermint leaves and straining the liquid off. When it has cooled to room temperature pour it into a spray bottle. Apply it to your pet's skin, part a small section of fur at a time and soak the area.
In place of harmful and expensive chemicals to spray rugs, carpet and furniture for fleas try this: take several silver aluminum pie pans and fill with soapy water. Set them around the room before you go to bed and leave a light on so that there is a reflection in the pans. You will be amazed at the number of fleas that will jump in toward the glare and drown!
For the treatment of ear mites there are two different methods that I have found to be effective. One is to apply petroleum jelly or olive oil to the entire inside of your pet's ears being sure to cover all the skin completely. This will loosen the ear mites and allow you to wipe them out and it will also smother the hidden mites.
You can also use apple cider vinegar to get rid of ear mites. Take a paper towel or a large cotton ball and dip it into a bowl of vinegar. Rub the inside of the ear and around the creases being careful not to touch the section near the ear drum. This will clean and disinfect the ear and kill any ear mites. You can let a drop or two run down into the inside of the ear to reach any mites that may be deeper than you can safely reach and gently massage the ears to help this spread as much as possible. Massaging will also help to comfort your pet and soothe the itching and irritation caused by the mites.
Identify the items that you use most often to care for your pets and look around for bargains or acceptable substitutes to defray some of the cost. It is entirely possible to maintain your pets in a responsible and economic way. You can cut costs without sacrificing quality of care.
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