Great Feed, House and Keep Your Pets Hunt

thedoghouse

until recently i was in the habit of buying cat food in pouches & thought i was saving money by buying in bulk (e.g. 48 packs). i don't know why, but it never occurred to me till a few weeks ago to try tinned stuff. it works out sooooooooo much cheaper, gram for gram. it's the same food, just packaged differently. the only downside i have found is that you have to store the can once its open as (unless you have a lot of cats) there's more than one meal's worth in the can, but it's definitely worth this minor inconvenience. just thought i'd share.

thedoghouse

i have recently started making my own treats for my dogs. i it works out a lot cheaper than buying them, plus i know exactly what has gone into them. the best bit is: my dogs LOVE them! here's the recipe i use:

Liver & Yoghurt Brownies

500g lambs liver
500g wholemeal flour
3 cloves garlic
1 egg
natural yoghurt to mix (I used probiotic as I often give this to my dogs to settle an upset tummy)

1. Preheat the oven to 180˚C
2. Grease & line a square or rectangular baking tin (I used a loaf tin)
3. Blend the liver & garlic in a food processor (be VERY careful to put the lid on tightly!)
4. Stir in the flour & egg till well combined
5. Mix in enough yoghurt to give a spreading consistency
6. Pour into your tin & bake for about 30 minutes, until firm like a cake
7. Cool on a rack then turn out & cut into cubes

The 'brownies' can be stored in the fridge for a few days but I usually freeze them then defrost small quantities as needed.

PS Don't attempt this if you're squeamish - food processing raw liver isn't for the weak stomached!

GonzoAston

foreign_correspondent wrote: »

I dont think the brine would be a problem if they are only an occasional treat, but it may be worth rinsing them.

Fish in oil is fine, but do drain the oil off unless your dog is skinny, as it is only veg oil, (it's the actual oil in the oily fish which is good for them), and yes, I give mine fish in tomato sauce although I would be very surprised if that didnt contain some salt too!

Yeah, suppose you're right, lol. A good rinse, they should be ok. I normally get fresh fish from Sainsburys. They cut the price to a 4th on fish that is going out of date the day after. I cop it, bag it and freeze it.

LurcherGirl_3

My money saving tip for rabbit owners:

I used to use expensive wood pellet cat litter in my bunnies litter trays! I now started using shredded paper instead (my own, friends and through freecycle)! It means a little more cleaning (changing litter trays once or twice a day instead of every second day), but it saves a lot of money when you have 8 bunnies like me!

Other small animals:

I also use shredded paper as bedding for my chinchillas and dormice!

Vera

edmund_blackadder

thedoghouse wrote: »

until recently i was in the habit of buying cat food in pouches & thought i was saving money by buying in bulk (e.g. 48 packs). i don't know why, but it never occurred to me till a few weeks ago to try tinned stuff. it works out sooooooooo much cheaper, gram for gram. it's the same food, just packaged differently. the only downside i have found is that you have to store the can once its open as (unless you have a lot of cats) there's more than one meal's worth in the can, but it's definitely worth this minor inconvenience. just thought i'd share.

You say that ... but my cat 'KNOWS' that it's somehow different! I don't know how but he does ... so he forces us to buy the expensive pouches instead of the tins! Grr

RacyRed

Hi,

I was just in Morrisons and noticed that the following cat food offers end on Sunday.

Sheba - 8 trays for £3.
Solitaire - 5 tins for £3

spinningsheep

Just to say IAMS dry cat food, the chicken and the lamb varieties are on offer at Sainsburys until 25/08/09, 3kg for just over £10, saves about £4

charlysez

asda are doing 1kg for £3.00 makes it a little cheaper still

rita-rabbit

Don't feed/buy IAMs: high salt content & alot of cruel testing on animals

Rochelle

I have 2 gorgeous staffy`s one is 16 months and the other 24 months.
I have tried many diets along the way and many diff foods from the cheaper ones to the top range ones like James well beloved and Science plan.
I found a new food bout 6 months ago called "Autaurky " its a hypo allergic food with no additives or presarvatives and is for working dogs.
It costs me £16 for a 15 kilo bag and lasts me bout 5 weeks for both girls, when i took my girls to the vet for their boosters the vet said they are in perfect condition and their coats are shiny.
I also give them 3 times a week a variety of other food.

Raw mince
Sardines in olive oil
Raw chicken wings
Raw bones

The chicken wings and raw bones are fab for their teeth and makes sure they have no plaque on their teeth and the sardines are fab for their coat.
A lot of people are scared of giving their dogs raw meat and raw bones, but in the wild that is what they would eat and if you give them raw bones it is really good for them and is not dangerous at all, only if you cook the bones then give it to them it is very dangerous as the bone is soft and will then splinter.