5 pets, out of work - need to save SOMEWHERE

rita-rabbit

gettingready wrote: »

That is what I find with the litter I use now and go through so much of it - it soeaks the pee and turns into dust so has to be replaced every day really. Scooping a poo that is not properly ermmm hard is almost impossible without throwing away perfectly good litter too...

I am worried about clay type litters as we are in a 2 bed flat and with 4 cats insisting on using the trays at the same time - the aromotherapy can at times be quite.... interesting LOL

Need something economical but also masking the smell too.... Hmmmm

I bought the formal ones with filter, catflap et all but have noticed quite a few posters have improvised & used cardboard or wooden boxes to similar effect - apart from minimising `nasty niffs' it also stops a lot of litter being kicked out onto the floor. I will add again, however that if you can get them onto 75% dry the smell & volume will be radically reduced also.

rita-rabbit

Burns dried is the cheapest quality dried cat food on the market.

I sometimes get Ox heart from halal butchers you get loads v cheap. Cut it up & put in bags in the freezer for the moglets.

Oko plus is sold by Zooplus, Pets @ Home, and Petsupermarket.

JCS1

suburbanwifey wrote: »

Four years on he is incredibly handsome, fit as an athlete, and still enjoys his cat fishing game...I have never known a more appreciative cat, he shows how much he loves me every day and he has never once stepped out of the door, he runs away if he sees the front door open, he saw enough of the outside world to last him a lifetime in his first few weeks of life.

This is just like my cat, he runs away if the front door opens, and he's scared of people who come to the house. He's fine with me, Mum and my OH, but for everyone else he runs and hides in the airing cupboard until after they have gone. He was dumped in the farmyard when he was very small , he could just about lap milk on his own. Luckily my old cat mothered him otherwise I don't think he would have survived.

The pictures of kittens in this thread are making me want some though! I've got serious envy just looking at them

gettingready

And so not long ago they were so tiney......:D

Norfolk_Jim

Hi, have read through all this thread looking for advice today on how to afford our pets and wanted to say thanks for the info on here - great thread.
I'm up to my neck in debt - struggling to get by although employed - and we have 2 dogs and a moggy. I realised that eating Tesco tins they are getting through 25-33% of my weekly food budget which is just too much.
I've tried feeding them various alternatives but never saved that much. P U S S Y does like Lidl dried cat food and also Morrisons. I'm loathe to get rid of our dogs - they are like family members, but I am desperate to cut down on their costs. Our smallest - spike - broke his leg last year when we had no insurance - cost well over £1000 to treat it. No PDSA around here and as I'm employed, not much help from anywhere else.
I was in a big pet store yesterday and was looking in confusion at all the different bags of dog food, not sure about how any of them work out - so the suggestions here have been a big help.
I was surprised to see big bags of frozen chicken necks for dogs. I always thought dogs should not have chicken bones? Some are suggesting feeding chicken wings as well - do you just give those to them raw? How much does a labrador need and do you put biscuits with it?
I was also wondering about feeding road kill - I live in semi rural norfolk and the highway carnage is awful - but I did think about picking up those dead rabbit, hare, pheasant, seagull, muntjack carcasses for the dogs. Have not done that yet as not sure how to use them - think skinned obviously - I'm not squeemish - but bone in? raw? CAn I use any of the offal? And will it give the dogs the diddly squits? 'cos Lidl tinned tog food didn't half - it was like a rich beef stew all over the bed! Dog came in to ask me to take her out (she is good like that) and BANG - meat curry substitude everywhere and all down the stairs. Pity as she loved it and it smelled good enough for me to eat myself. *(Before it was put through the dog you understand)
I hear of a lot of country people talking about feeding dogs raw meat and bone but not sure where to get more information on this.

PennyForThem_2

Norfolk_Jim wrote: »

I was also wondering about feeding road kill - I live in semi rural norfolk and the highway carnage is awful - but I did think about picking up those dead rabbit, hare, pheasant, seagull, muntjack carcasses for the dogs. Have not done that yet as not sure how to use them - think skinned obviously - I'm not squeemish - but bone in? raw? CAn I use any of the offal? And will it give the dogs the diddly squits? 'cos Lidl tinned tog food didn't half - it was like a rich beef stew all over the bed! Dog came in to ask me to take her out (she is good like that) and BANG - meat curry substitude everywhere and all down the stairs. Pity as she loved it and it smelled good enough for me to eat myself. *(Before it was put through the dog you understand)


I hear of a lot of country people talking about feeding dogs raw meat and bone but not sure where to get more information on this.

Quite feasible to feed raw to both dogs and cats and it is cheaper than supermarket processed stuff.

Here are some websites:

Cat forum which gives advice on food - see stickies - you might be interested in the sticky looking at nutrional value of supermarket stuff:

http://www.petforums.co.uk/cat-health-nutrition/

This is an American site and is a bit preachy but you may glean something
http://rawfedcats.org/practicalguide.htm


This is a UK supplier of raw - she started because of her dog but what she sells is suitable for cats as well - 500 gm = 40-70 pence depending on what meat it is. Bone and sometimes bits of fur included (all ground into coarse mince)!
http://rawtogo.co.uk/default.aspx

With suppliers it is the delivrey that adds to price.

This is available in Pets@Home

http://prizechoice.co.uk/

It is cheap and definitely suitable for dogs


Note: with raw you don't need to feed as much as this is what cats and dogs would eat naturally and their digestive system is geared up to it. Recommendation is 2-3% of body weight per day.

babyshoes

The thing about not feeding dogs chicken bones refers to cooked chicken (and some other) bones, as they get brittle when cooked, and turn into little sharp shards when eaten.

rita-rabbit

Norfolk_Jim wrote: »

Hi, have read through all this thread looking for advice today on how to afford our pets and wanted to say thanks for the info on here - great thread.
I'm up to my neck in debt - struggling to get by although employed - and we have 2 dogs and a moggy. I realised that eating Tesco tins they are getting through 25-33% of my weekly food budget which is just too much.
I've tried feeding them various alternatives but never saved that much. P U S S Y does like Lidl dried cat food and also Morrisons. I'm loathe to get rid of our dogs - they are like family members, but I am desperate to cut down on their costs. Our smallest - spike - broke his leg last year when we had no insurance - cost well over £1000 to treat it. No PDSA around here and as I'm employed, not much help from anywhere else.
I was in a big pet store yesterday and was looking in confusion at all the different bags of dog food, not sure about how any of them work out - so the suggestions here have been a big help.
I was surprised to see big bags of frozen chicken necks for dogs. I always thought dogs should not have chicken bones? Some are suggesting feeding chicken wings as well - do you just give those to them raw? How much does a labrador need and do you put biscuits with it?
I was also wondering about feeding road kill - I live in semi rural norfolk and the highway carnage is awful - but I did think about picking up those dead rabbit, hare, pheasant, seagull, muntjack carcasses for the dogs. Have not done that yet as not sure how to use them - think skinned obviously - I'm not squeemish - but bone in? raw? CAn I use any of the offal? And will it give the dogs the diddly squits? 'cos Lidl tinned tog food didn't half - it was like a rich beef stew all over the bed! Dog came in to ask me to take her out (she is good like that) and BANG - meat curry substitude everywhere and all down the stairs. Pity as she loved it and it smelled good enough for me to eat myself. *(Before it was put through the dog you understand)
I hear of a lot of country people talking about feeding dogs raw meat and bone but not sure where to get more information on this.

yes to roadkill - include skin, bones & everything!

ameliamug

Hi Gettingready.
Your pet insurance seems really high. i had 6 of mine insured with tesco and it was £22 for the 2 pedigrees and £20 for 4 moggies! What breed are yours?

gettingready

ameliamug wrote: »

Hi Gettingready.


Your pet insurance seems really high. i had 6 of mine insured with tesco and it was £22 for the 2 pedigrees and £20 for 4 moggies! What breed are yours?

My insurance is cnot bad actually, it is 60 per month for a dog (GS) and 4 kittens.... Kittens are under £9 each..., it is for life policy thanks