The real cost of having pets

narabanekeater

I dodnt know if you have a Macro near you but the Classic works out to be 38p a tin from there. I use about 90 a month for mine and my adopties

gettingready

Thanks - no Macro and no car/access to one....

Asda works out 45 p per tin (2.72 for 6)

gettingready

Keep on looking at skinners - 40% rice... is that good?

Can not find this info on Orijen... hmmm

Useless at comparing foods......

rita-rabbit

So I must ask - but is Classic not worth the economising? What of Grau? I changed from Aniconda Carni/Bozita/Smilla - whoever was cheapest to save money now I am having to feed 100% wet - am confused - please advise?

Regarding dental dried food - honestly not really worth the outlay. Better to give them some Logic on a paw & let them lick it off.

smells - Go-Cat is giving those. Phasing them out slowly - just put more of the `other biscuits' until you are not buying any will save your nostrils! I am feeding Classic & some Burns (just a sprinkle as both cats were SO hungry being on wet 100% so it's 95% wet to save my ears from the hungry whinging) & the smells are not too bad - there again I am still alternating with Smilla until that delivery runs out (classic/smilla/classic until smilla runs out). But also economising on litter & using Aldi clay & PAH wood - seeing how it goes - just shovelling it more often than before but maybe cos there's more to shovel! Ideas welcome - cheers ta

rita-rabbit

Sainsburys is selling Classic cheapest currently.

Saturnalia

Buttonmoons wrote: »

Saturn - How many sachets!! :eek: I have 3 cats, and I put out around 4 sachets a day, or 1 can, sometimes I put out 5, if the kitten has been growling at the bigger cat and she can't get no food, but they can eat biscuits if they are hungry inbetween, no way would I be paying £3.50 a day on just wet food - That's about £100 a month :eek:

I know, it's ridiculous and I certainly can't afford it atm. When it is just me at home I give them 3 pouches in the morning & another 3 in the evening with a bowl of biscuits available all day.

I'm really not convinced by these pouches, it's like giving the cats McDonald's - they could eat it all day long and never be satisfied. The dry food lasts so much longer and seems to keep them fuller.

Buttonmoons

:eek: I couldn't actually allow myself to spend £15 on 6 cans of cat food, the inner Scottish person inside me - wouldn't allow it, I would probably cry....

What I do with my cats, is give them raw meat occasionally throughout the week, my female cat is 100% fussy, she will eat dry biscuits if you put nothing down and ignore her chewing on plastic bags for at least 4hours (that's her way of getting your attention) and even then she does it begrudgingly - She will only eat a tiny amount of tuna, smoked salmon - she loves prawns, the occasional lump of raw mince, and raw chicken. She doesn't do "cooked" food.

The other 2 (Kitten doesn't like prawns) are just hoovers, so they get some raw chicken/sardines/white fish/mince/raw chicken wing. Throughout the week, not everyday, just when I remember really! (Haha) and they will both go for that.....female, she won't have it, if it ain't Felix (not beef flavour, or turkey, or tuna) she won't be aving' it!

I agree Saturn, the pouches aren't the best, my fussy female cat won't eat much variations, she will tolerate the butchers canned (which I have in at the mo) but its canned, and she knows it, so the 2nd half, she won't touch *rolls eyes* she hates whiskas, kitekat, tesco own. BUT, she utterly loves Aldis basic sachets, it's £1.99 for 12 foils, there isn't even a picture on em :rotfl: I don't think they are any worse than supermarche' brands.

Trying to mentally figure out the costs.

(£3) PW cat litter (wooden pellets) for 3 litter trays (usually does longer than a week)
About £3 PW on a 6 pack of Butchers, usually I buy a box of sachets too for ease (£6.00) (that will do over a week)
(£1) packet of dreamies :P

I don't count the tidbits of meat I give them, as since ex moved out they just eat his share of dinner :rotfl:

Insurance PM is......£17ish, I think! That's just for 2 of them currently, haven't put the kitten on the insurance yet. I actually need to ring them back and clarify they have it down that my cats are indoor only, because my male cat is about £10 PM and the female (who's older) is less, because males apparently, get into bother more often (which I can understand) but they can't go outside to do that :rotfl:


So currently, at the very most, they cost me about £14 PW....how expensive, right, no food & no dreamies & no litter :rotfl:

Fridaycat

Buttonmoons wrote: »

:eek: I couldn't actually allow myself to spend £15 on 6 cans of cat food, the inner Scottish person inside me - wouldn't allow it, I would probably cry....

But consider they are LARGE tins: 800g = enough for 8 servings. so 8 x 6 (tins) = 48 servings. £15 divided by 48 = 31 pence per meal :T. This is actually around the same cost as most pouches on the market, but far superior quality - a much higher meat content, better quality of meat and no grains as fillers.

Mrs_Z

Well, I decided to take out the calculator in the end and came up with a figure of £80-100 pcm for 2 cats; including their food (wet + dry + fresh meat treats; chicken & prawns), medication, cat litter. the figure does not include vet visits. I don't vaccinate my cats any more and they are not insured.

I was just wondering if by buying meat or left over meat from butchers and freezing it might cut the cost? Assuming your cats eat raw/cooked meat. At least on the human side, normally cooking at home larger amounts and freezing portions works out cheaper. Just a thought...

gettingready

Large tins make sense when one has more cats - my lot does not like "old tin", one that was opened for more than a day.. sigh.. especially not from the fridge.

I will look at Grau and I will look at OkoPlus

so 8 x 6 (tins) = 48 servings. £15 divided by 48 = 31 pence per meal

31 pence per meal per cat with 4 cats and 2 meals per day is.....

0.31x4x2x31 = £76.88 per month....

I will perhaps stick to Classic