Great Feed, House and Keep Your Pets Hunt

debecca

Our cats absolutely love ping-pong balls, especially on the stairs. They go out (and hence chase mice, which I wish they wouldn't) but they still go mad for the ol' ping-pong. Heartily recommended!!! :T

drfclee

catkins wrote:

It's not always a good idea to go too "cheap" when it comes to dog food. Bakers is pretty cheap but every vet I have ever spoken to says it is the worst food you can feed your dog because it is full of colourings and additives. I gave it to my dog for a short time and he became hyper and was scratching all the time because he was allergic to it.

I was told by a member of staff at Pets At Home that Bakers and Pedigree were the worst dry dog food. And that Beta was a good one. Admittedly i do feed Billy Bakers and have done for 18 months, but just recently he has started to scratch an aweful lot which is very unusual for him.

Maybe he has just got fleas!!?? Any ideas for good flea fighters?
If that doesnt stop it, i may have to change his food after all this time.

secondhandsusie6cats

Quote "What is irresponsible about putting an animal down because you can't afford its treatment? As I said before, the animal doesn't know its fate: the only one to suffer is you." Un-quote.

Whilst I agree that there are lots of creatures in shelters and rescue centres needing good homes, a cat (or any other animal) is a living thing and not a car! If a car has repairs that you can't afford then fair enough, sell it or scrap it but a car doesn't eat, breathe or sleep.

A pet is a huge responsibility and should not be undertaken lightly; a reason why I hate to see pets advertised free to good home. People focus on the fact they don't have to pay anything but don't take into consideration food, housing, vaccinations, treatment etc.

My cats have been treated for various illneses - one had cancer at a very early age and 6 years on, is still going strong. I sat in with her when she had her chemo and she was not distressed by it and even got used to it. She wasn't insured and I didn't think twice about how much treatment would cost coz if my furry family need something they have it - no question. She is a very happy and healthy girl but what if I'd taken your attitude and had her to put to sleep????? <shivers> doesn't bear thinking about.

A good vet will always look out for the wellbeing of the patient.

At the end of the day, we have NHS for humans and if a human child was very sick I doubt you'd be saying not to bother treating them. :mad:

Gromituk, your post makes me think of a well-known saying "The more people (like you) I meet, the more I like my cats"

Right, rant over.

kateykat

jasper2440 wrote:

My cat is finnicky he will only he tinned tuna - tesco blue stripe is fine by him, fortunately, which actually works out cheaper than tins of catfood. My local co-op sells individual cans, but I used to buy enormous bags of biscuits from my local vet.
Melissa

Hi Melissa,
Please get your finnicky cat off tuna before it makes him ill! Cats can become addicted to it, it's unbalanced and has been known to cause severe deficiency diseases.

Kate

kateykat

bulchy wrote:

Kate, how do you manaage to persuade your cats that BARF is good for them???? One of my cats will eat raw meat, the other wont ...

Hi bulchy,
I started one of my cats off when he was a little kitten and he loved it cos I hand fed him while developing a recipe. The other one was 7 months when she came here and needed a little - shall we say - persuasion What I routinely do now then is to make a 'gravy' which is simply a tsp of tasty organic offal dissolved in warm water, poured over their dinner. Never fails.

Cats are wiley creatures -- but I'm one paw ahead :wall: :wall:

Kate

secondhandsusie6cats

As a nation, we 'over' vaccinate our pets (for those who take their pets to be vaccinated).

If you have cats that are indoor only and are not used for breeding purposes, then you do not have to get them vaccinated for FelV (leukemia) as long as they don't come into contact with other strange cats that is. Saves me a few £s!

secondhandsusie6cats

Tried allsorts with my tribe (who live indoor only so we get through a lot of cat litter) - clumping, paper, sand, fullers earth, re-usable, litter pearls etc.

They like the wood based type the best and so do I! Smells of pine and is biodegradable (you can flush it down the loo).

My top tip for this kind of litter is to use a metal sieve or cullinder and put scoops of the used litter into it. Sieve the 'sawdust' into another place and you are left with the clean and still useable wood chippings which you can then put back into the litter tray once you have cleaned it!

With that type of litter, cheapest not always the best. Wilkinson's own brand one is okay - don't come in big enough bags; but I'm currently using a 30 litre bag of 'fussy puss' by Canac which is lasting longer than other equivalents (thought it was pricier).

Another money saving tip is to go to the Supreme Cat Show at the NEC (usually at the end of November). You will be given lots of free samples of food, cat litter etc. for your cat to try and will also be able to buy food etc. at a knock-down price direct from manufacturers. (Just be careful you don't end up spending £sssssssss on all the cool toys and things you can't get from your usual pet stores)!:rotfl:

bulchy

koolkat wrote:

Just a quick word of warning about feeding raw mince to dogs... I used to give raw mince to my dog when he was a puppy as getting him to eat was a nightmare. I later found out from a friend who had been doing the same that if the mince is fresh i.e. not previously been frozen at any point it can contain a bacteria that can be very harmful to dogs (and humans). When we eat it we obviously cook it and that kills the bacteria but freezing it also kills the bacteria so always buy frozen mince or freeze fresh mince at home then defrost before feeding.

Same goes with chicken pieces and raw meaty bones. The only bones I tend to give mine that havent been frozen are lamb, I normally give them one from the pack and freeze the rest.
Sue

bulchy

rach1973 wrote:

What does everyone use?

We've got a 4.5 month old kitten that is still using a litter tray...he is so fussy and we end up empting it every day (yes I do clear it out when it needs it!!!)

I'd like to know what is the best and cheapest and where to get it.

TIA

Rachel

Hi rach, we use Citycat cat litter for our 2, its like crystal, and we just scoop out the doings, and they will go back and use it again, so its been less wasteful for us. You can get it in Wilkinsons. Sorry cant remember the price.
Sue

Rebob

At our vets, if you have your annual booster with the nurse you save £10.

We got our dog from the RSPCA. She was still with her mum in her owners home and they ask RSPCA to find good homes. She was £75 (four years ago) but came with vouchers to cover neutering & vaccinations for the local vets and the RSPCA did the micro chipping for us. If we had been given a puppy it would have been over £100 just for neutering!