Great Feed, House and Keep Your Pets Hunt

vintage_car_widow

Google dogfoodanalysis, click on Index at the bottom of the page. You will be surprised at the dog food reviews, or shocked.

caela_2

Loving this thread! I've got 2 cats and I'm constantly looking for cheap ways to improve their lifestyle.

Cat Toys:

Lazer Pointers:

I used to buy and make cat toys, but there is one winner overall- quite simply, a lazer pointer. The cat equivalent of crack. Just youtube the videos and you'll see how popular these are.

My cats are so mad about their lazer pointer that they even respond to the sound of me picking it up. If I so much as click a button on it they go crazy. Buy one for cheap on ebay and simply replace the batteries (I recommend Eunicell).

Home-made:

If you want to make some toys, that's just as easy and almost free in most cases. Cats are fans of plastic bags, but mine prefer the large bag a multi-pack of crisps comes in. Or if you're paranoid about potential suffocation, just use a paper bag- anything with a crinkle effect.

Cats also love boxes. Make some holes in a cardboard box, big enough for your cat to fit their paw through. Pop your cat in the box if they're comfortable enough (they can always jump out) and wave a toy or stick over the holes for them to catch. Or stick lots of boxes together to make tunnels. Boxes are free at local supermarkets and Lidl.

Feathers are also great, just glue some onto a lolly pop stick and they make a great teaser toy (just make sure they don't eat the feathers if they are the coloured ones!) You can get these in the kids crafting section in supermarkets and a pack of different items is only a couple of quid. They also include those fluffy balls cats love to chase and googly eyes you can stick on things- again just careful they don't swallow it!

The cheapest and easiest home made toy is a foil or paper ball (careful they don't ingest foil though). My last cat loved wool, so a ball of that and he was happy. However, the better home-made cat toys is a simple plastic coat-hanger (the straight ones, not triangular). Wave it under the duvets or a cloth and they will try to catch it. Better still, tie a balled up sock or cat toy to one end with a length of string (about 1 metre) to make a 'fishing-rod'.

Other ideas include filling an old sock with catnip or crinkly material and tying the ends. Or fill a Pringles tube with cat treats and pop some holes in it so that when your cat rolls the tube, the treats come out. You could also fill an old camera film tube with pebbles for a rattle toy.

Food:

The cheapest and best pet foods are usually home-made. I buy end-of-day discounts from supermarkets (Morissons usually do them around 6pm) and you can get some great deals (once I got packs of Ox liver for 5p each and stored them in the freezer). Just make sure to buy a variety of low-fat meats or fish, including organs (heart is high in taurine and good for cats). If you do feed your cats organs such as heart, liver and kidneys, make sure to mix it with a higher ratio of meat content as it shouldn't be fed by itself. White fish is an excellent option as it's cheap (approx. £4 per kilo), along with tinned pilchards (rinsing away the brine), fresh sardines, or sprats.

I find this is much cheaper than cat foods and far higher quality than even the premium brands. Whiskas, for example, sell the sachets for around £3.10 a kilo, for very poor quality meat. But, you can buy a freedom-foods whole chicken for around the same price/kg at Co-op. I usually pay around £5 a week, feeding 2 cats, which I think is pretty cheap. Plus, it's so much healthier.

This type of feeding should be researched and supplements are important. Whilst cats are obligate carnivores (solely meat eaters), they do need calcium which they would usually get from animal bones (such as mice). Therefore, I give them a lactose free milk from the fresh milk section. Before you empty your wallet in the pet-food isle, it's worth knowing Arla Lacto-free milk (between £1 - £1.29 a litre) is exactly the same product. Cats are lactose intolerant, so this lactose-free milk is perfect and beats UHT any day. Some cat milks have added taurine, but they should get this from a high-meat diet, or you can buy a cheap taurine supplement.

If you do your research, natural feeding is the best option and cheaper in the long-run I find. I do also give my cats natural cat biscuit just to cover all bases, and this I free-feed (leave a bowl out) using either Harringtons http://groceries.asda.com/asda-estore/search/searchcontainer.jsp?trailSize=1&searchString=harringtons&domainName=Products&headerVersion=v1&_requestid=78880 at only £2.18 per kilo (Asda), or Pet's Kitchen brands such as "Vet's Kitchen" (£6.22/ kg, Asda) and "Joe & Jills" (£4.42/kg, Asda) http://www.petskitchen.co.uk/. Pet's Kitchen, formulated by TV vet Joe Inglis, is a better option and cheaper than 'premium' brands of lesser quality. Also, their website lists many natural recipes for you to try out at home.

Bedding:

I got 2 washable cat beds from Tesco/ Asda (can't remember which) for only £2.50 each, but prices vary greatly. My tip is to get them online or when they aren't popular (it's actually a great tip, as I bought a paddling pool with Asda online last winter for half the price as advertised in summer).

Remember, you don't need a cat bed specifically- improvise. Anything with 'pet' before it doubles the price. Just buy a cheap bed pillow (£1.29, Ikea) and use an old pillow case to cover it. The cat equivalent of a luxury double bed for just over a pound!

Lastly:

Buying online is miles cheaper than pets stores and supermarkets, or try 99p Stores and Poundland for some great bargains.

That's my contribution, lengthy as it was! Hope it helps

caela_2

patchwork_cat wrote: »

Wood based cat litter from Wilkinsons is v. good value, but if you live near the cost sand that has blown off the beach makes great cat litter. _ you may need to double box it - or the sand gets everywhere! Don't take it off the beach though.

Why not?

caela_2

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

Heya,

So glad you're feeding your cat something natural, but just a warning about tuna. I used to feed mine tuna occasionally, but rarely buy it now because I've been advised it's not good for them in high quantities (not enough nutrients and there is some mercury in it too). It's just with tuna though, other meats and fish should be fine.

Here's some info if you're interested: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20061229020916AAR8AWV

caela_2

kateykat wrote: »

Hi All,

Barfing for cats, just like Sue does for dogs, is a great money saver. Saves em from poor quality pet foods, saves on vets bills cos they stay healthy AND DON'T NEED VACCINATING, saves on cat litter cos there's less waste, saves on furball remedies cos olive oil added to the BARF mix prevents those problems -- the only thing it doesn't save is time ... but they're worth lots of that :-)

Kate :j

Don't know too much about this diet but would say it's probably safer for cats who are designed to live on an 'atkins' type diet. They are obligate carnivores so are happy with high meat content, dogs on the other hand, need a variety of foods I believe.

I would be hesitant about giving a cat bones though, it can be dangerous if parts break off and get stuck in their neck or digestive tract. Small fish bones, such as in sardines or sprats, are OK. Also, I would heavily recommend a calcium supplement of cheese, yoghurt or lactose-free milk.

caela_2

PaulMoore100 wrote: »

Like one or two others on here, we feed our two dogs (a 12 yo Bearded Collie Cross & 1.5 yo miniature Schnauzer) on beef mince.

We just serve the mince raw, which they both enjoy.

This is a really good idea, as you said, mixing it with biscuits as dogs need a balanced diet. Just wanted to make a note that people feeding cooked beef mince should drain the fat off, especially with cats, as cooked animal fats are bad for them. I know you're feeding it raw, which is probably better. I have heard though that with the increased surface area of minced meats, they should be kept very clean (so the fresher the better, from a reputable supplier). If you make it at home, make sure the mincer is properly sterilised first.

mademoiselle_2

Originally Posted by jasper2440
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

I know all about this! :-( The most expensive thing of all about feeding cats is buying things that they won't eat. Don't tell me they will eventually get hungry and eat anything... they don't!

You have to factor in their preferences - and when you do that, it isn't as easy as just buying the cheapest. Too often, I have tried buying a cheaper brand and ended up wasting the money. Because they just won't eat it!

My cats do love cat kibble. They are a bit less 'picky' with biscuit as they are with wet cat food. And one brand that I have found they will almost always eat is Purina. If I get Brekkies or Excel, they always eat it. And that is cost effective.

I'm doing the Purina 1 challenge at the moment, trying them on it. So far so good - all eaten.

Gaia

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

Please please PLEASE feed your cat proper catfood and NOT tuna that is for humans. Tuna is addictive to cats and also lacking in a vital nutrient. If you feed your cat tuna this can lead to major health problems and death. Far better to spend a few extra pennies and feed them tuna-cat food that is specially formulated. If you don't believe me please talk to your vet - you could unknowingly be damaging your cat's health.

Here are some relevant links:

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20061130105524AANEtn7

http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=450509

http://www.lenhumanesoc.org/Tips/ASPCA-Tuna.htm

Skyespirit86

I keep a load of reptiles etc which probably doesn't apply to most people on here but I've got other things too
I would say to get your bedding like woodshavings etc from a horse suppliers, not a pet shop or supermarket. Sometimes you can get home deliveries on bales that will still save you money even with postage included. A bale is huge! When you're only using it for hamsters, mice etc- for one or two small pets it could literally last a year and costs about £7.50 where I am. The shavings are exactly the same, dust extracted etc, since horses are quite sensitive to stuff like this as well, and many of the brands if you read their description will say they are safe for small animals anyway.There are also other bedding options available which can be helpful, eg shredded card, hemp chips, all of which are quite useful if you have Gerbils perhaps who like a deep substrate and by blending harder beddings like these with woodshavings their tunnels will stay up.

geriann

Gaia wrote: »

Please please PLEASE feed your cat proper catfood and NOT tuna that is for humans. Tuna is addictive to cats and also lacking in a vital nutrient. If you feed your cat tuna this can lead to major health problems and death. Far better to spend a few extra pennies and feed them tuna-cat food that is specially formulated.

OMG i didn't know this!
is it safe to give cats tuna as a treat?
i'm talking about maybe a couple of times a year.