The cost of feeding 4 cats on mix od dry/wet food

mutter

gettingready wrote: »

THreemutleys - I do not feel I have much choice in taking Chloe on - she will end up in a rescue otherwise and as a 5 yo tabby she will have very small chance of ever being rehomed

You do have a choice and there are other people who are very happy to take on mature cats.

Out of the 17 cats I've owned (all but one of them from rescues) only 6 came to me as tiny kittens, the others were all fully grown and a couple were estimated to be around 10 years.

Now my kids are grown up and there aren't people around the house most of the day, I won't have anymore kittens, any future cats will be grown ups.

My late mother also gave a home to two elderly cats, as she couldn't risk tripping over lively kittens.

Most of the rescues round here won't consider kittens for homes with very young children or elderly people anyway.

Please think again - you're struggling to cope with the pets you have, don't take on more than you can manage comfortably.

:doh:

gettingready

Yes, I am struggling but will not allow Chloe to go into a cage in some shelter for God knows how long.

She lived with me as a kitten (when me and my ex were together) and will not have her in a shelter.

Just arranged with the ex to buy food/litter for the cats when I take Chloe to keep me going for a while, he is also taking her to the vets for vaccinations/flea/worm treatment and will pay for her microchip details to be changed to my name/address. She is already spayed.

rita-rabbit

gunsandbanjos wrote: »

Just started my little guy on Smilla, he seems to like it and it was much cheaper than animonda carny/bozita on Zooplus.

so ordered some Smilla from Zooplus - before the Aniconda Carni ran out in case they don't like it & so I can feed alternatively!

toastiest

We used to feed my cats my two cats (one big boy and average sized girl) Whiskas pouches and Go Cat biscuits. They loved it but I have since found out that both of those have very low meat content and for a while I was aware of this but did not know what to change to. I was tight on money so I tried my cats on Purely ordering in bulk when they had an offer. They drudgingly ate it but you could tell that they were not keen and although the meat content is good it is still not a great food.

Finally I have switched to Bozita which they love. I get the massive 64 pack now for about £55 which last them about two to two and a half months and I have read that this has over 90% meat content so it's a good compromise (rather than going for something even more expensive). btw I have found a thread on another forum where they said that the tin version of Bozita is not as good as the tetrapak?

Haven't given them dry food for the last few months and they don't seem to mind - we will always put some wet food down if they ask but in my last shop I've ordered Porta 21 Feline Finest Sensible - Grain Free as Taste of the Wild went up in price a bit.

total about £30-£35 on food a month for two cats

SadBunny

gettingready wrote: »

THreemutleys - I do not feel I have much choice in taking Chloe on - she will end up in a rescue otherwise and as a 5 yo tabby she will have very small chance of ever being rehomed

I agree with mutter - I also gladly took on a very mature cat - but if you are able to take good care of Chloe, that would ease the burden on a rescue.
However, I think it could be very difficult for you.
Does Chloe like your cats? Will she want to live with them?
What will she make of their toilet habits? How will she react?

I have done this several times - and every time was different.
Moving to a new home, I took on the resident bruiser - real scary character. I fooled him into thinking my wimpy little older puss was the top cat by always feeding him first. It was lovely to come down in the morning to find them curled up together in the armchair.
Then came the time when the big boy realised that my little one had become deaf and recognised he was weaker - so he tormented him every opportunity. Every night I had to lock away my first cat for his own safety - he didn't like it.

I lived in a very large house, so it was easy for me to keep new additions separate, and gradually introduce them.
Even then, one very old lady cat could never be in the same room as my other cats - she was most upset by my little chap's friendly advances. When awake, she needed constant cuddling; so he had less time with me - not fair really.

You say you don't have much space - how will you cope?
Do you expect Chloe to use the same litter tray?
Perhaps you need a trial run before you finally commit - at least that would give you a chance to anticipate problems and make any necessary changes before she arrives for good.

gettingready wrote: »

Just arranged with the ex to buy food/litter for the cats when I take Chloe to keep me going for a while, he is also taking her to the vets for vaccinations/flea/worm treatment and will pay for her microchip details to be changed to my name/address. She is already spayed.

Well, that's a good start; but is it possible that you could foster Chloe? Then you could have back-up.
"Many rescues will arrange 'permanent fostering' of Senior Kittizens to Senior Citizens, meaning they never have to give the pet up, and there are no worries about vets bills" - perhaps if you explain your circumstances, they can do this for you.
"Some rescues are able to provide all the essentials for your foster cat; litter, food, litter tray, beds etc. but others may not have the finance to cover everything. . . Any veterinary bills should be covered by the rescue. You may have to use the rescues nominated vet, so do clarify this before you begin fostering."
http://www.catchat.org/fostering.html
Just an example (don't know where you live) : http://northlondon.cats.org.uk/index.asp?m=bsp

Just for info (hope you never need it) :
"Most major towns and cities throughout Britain have a PDSA “PetAid” hospital. Smaller towns, where a hospital is not viable, have practices that have treatment funded by the PDSA PetAid scheme".
http://www.dooyoo.co.uk/services-misc/the-peoples-dispensary-for-sick-animals-pdsa/289378/
http://www.pdsa.org.uk/pdsa-vet-care/eligibility
http://www.dooyoo.co.uk/services-misc/the-peoples-dispensary-for-sick-animals-pdsa/1005106/
http://www.petloversonline.co.uk/financial.htm
http://www.bluecross.org.uk/2076/Veterinary-services.html

gettingready

Chloe is already here, Chloe is NOT going to no rescue/cage etc. End of.

mutter

Just a sad update to my "4 cats" post.

Beetle got taken ill on Good Friday, panting heavily through his open mouth, and wandering around crazily bumping into furniture, walls etc.

The vet took him in and looked after him over the Easter weekend.
Xrays were difficult to decipher due to the amount of fluid on his lungs, but the vets thought either his heart was enlarged and failing, or else there was a tumour on it.

I brought him home after Easter, and the three different pills a day seemed to be keeping him stable, and he was due to go back for fresh xrays yesterday but I had to call the vet out again on Thursday.

By Saturday, I knew what I had to do, so on Sunday morning, I called the vet again, and while I waited for him, I sat in the sunshine holding Beetle on my lap, stroking him and keeping him calm. And that's where he was finally put to sleep.

He was a good friend to me and my kids for nearly 14 years - a big, handsome bloke, but a real gent.
He and his brother came from Celia Hammond's rescue as young lads.
He never gave us any bother and he was an absolute joy to have had around for so long. Once he came to us, he was never cold or hungry again, and noone was ever cruel to him.

He gave us all so much and we're missing him dreadfully.

gettingready

Mutter - so sory to hear that... only last year we have lost our 10 yo ginger boy Tiger - had to put him to sleep , kidney cancer - I really feel for you , big hugs

SadBunny

mutter wrote: »

He gave us all so much and we're missing him dreadfully.

Heartfelt sympathies - it is hard when you lose a much-loved pet.
When they are very ill, it is incredible how much comfort they take just from knowing you are with them.
Try to keep thinking about all the happy times you had together.

SadBunny

gettingready wrote: »

Chloe is already here, Chloe is NOT going to no rescue/cage etc. End of.

Gettingready - I hope you weren't thinking that I was suggesting that you should give Chloe up?
I was just flagging up some possible problems that could arise, hoping you had time to think how you could avoid any awkward situations.
I stumbled on this thread when I was searching for "bozita" - I didn't know Chloe had already arrived. The last I knew was :

gettingready wrote: »

Just arranged with the ex to buy food/litter for the cats when I take Chloe to keep me going for a while, . . .

I see now that this was 12 days before
I guess they've been keeping you busy so you haven't time to give us an update - I do expect an update because I remember all the lovely photo's on your other thread.
(Now this slow thinker is off to check if you've posted elsewhere.)

Just started reading 4 to 5 . . . (other thread)
Pheeeew! What a palaver.
Chloe is gorgeous - like the rest of your gang.
Sounds like you're getting there - can't rush these things.
Must be a nightmare when your circumstances are not ideal ... you want to do the right thing ... you're emotionally involved - yet you have to pusseefoot (you try typing it with a "y") round that idiot.
He's not exactly generous - is he?
Perhaps his circumstances have also changed; but I bet he'll be looking after number one.

Back to this thread :
I was not suggesting that you have Chloe fostered by someone else.
I thought if there had been more time you might ask if they would consider supporting you - making you Chloe's foster mum for life, and perhaps helping you with her vet bills.
In these hard times, so many people seem to be giving up their pets - I think it would be better if the charities could assist people in keeping their pets until things get better.

In case this becomes relevant: experts say that if you see your cat spoiling for a fight, it is best not to step in to try and separate them.
Instead, distract them with a toy. (You must have plenty.)
The toy I would recommend is quite cheap (£2.34 incl p&p) - but, I think, very effective.
"The original interactive cat toy. Spring steel wire and rolled cardboard create an irresistible lure for cats and great fun for cat lovers" http://www.rlpetproducts.co.uk/store/cats/toys/
(It looks like they only take paypal, but at checkout it says: "You may pay offline if we already have your card details or you would like us to contact you for payment.")

http://jauntyquills.com/2007/09/28/the-cat-dancer/

We asked 10 designers "What product do you wish YOU had designed?"
Robert Langhorn : This might seem odd, but I recently bought a cat toy called the ‘Cat-Dancer’. It’s made from thirty inches of piano wire that has five tiny pieces of rolled-up paper attached to it which you wave about and it drives cats crazy. Everybody I know with a cat swears by it. I admire its economy and that it transcends the usual aesthetic values that we place on things. The enjoyment I get from playing with my cat with this toy is such that a critique of it as an object becomes irrelevant. There are a lot of over-designed pet toys available, but I’ve never seen anything as affordable, obvious or as effective as this one.