Great Feed, House and Keep Your Pets Hunt

ditzymuppet · 12 September 2006 at 6:46PM

Small AnimalsGoing to a carpet shop will get your little fluffies some long tubes to run through and play in.

Rats/Hamsters/Small fluffies can have hammocks attached to their cages by getting a square of material, and securing the corners to the tops/sides of cages with 4 paper clips.... regular washing will keep these clean and your little fluffies very happy and entertained...

Dogs
Our dog doesn't like hard toys so we recycle our teddies with her! She doesn't chew the soft and cuddlies so they are suitable for her...however if you have a pooch that eats toys that's not a good idea..

And as the previous poster said... PET INSURANCE!!! Well worth it

My doggy recommends it and so do my parents!!

~ditzy x

flis21 · 12 September 2006 at 7:41PM

I have a house rabbit and he just loves cardboard boxes. Used to buy him expensive toys to chew, now he just gets the boxes from any deliveries we get. He loves hopping in and out of them and chewing them to bits and I don't care how quickly he chews them as I am not worried about how much they cost.

mentaljessie · 13 September 2006 at 12:08AM

House Cats love feathers, when I'm on a cig break at work my colleagues think I'm mad when I say oh look there's a feather and run off to collect it. Milk carton lids seem to be a hit too.

Becles · 13 September 2006 at 7:38AM

Instead of buying expensive dog beds, make your own!

Make a big pillow case from an old curtain, duvet cover etc. Stuff it with old pillows or fold up an old duvet, and tuck the open edge underneath when you put it down for the dog.

The top cover can be taken off easily for a weekly wash to prevent it stinking, and the insides can be washed periodically when they get smelly or if the dog has a sick/toilet accident in bed.

Even if you don't have old curtains and bedding, buying Asda Smartprice or Tesco Value stuff to make one works out cheaper than a cushion from Pets at Home etc.

Frances144 · 13 September 2006 at 9:12AM

Puppies like empty cardboard loo rolls alot with string on it.

Also, I don't feed my two dogs any commercial dog food. Pasta/rice/potatoes(always good deals on these at supermarkets), leftovers, veg trimmings, apples going off in the fruit bowl and the cheapest raw beef mince works out much cheaper than dog food. I also boil up the Sunday joint and give them the meat./fat/grissle on that plus the stock. Some tins of dog food are more expensive than fillet steak.

My dogs are very happy. Dog food (and cat) has a lot of rubbish in it as well as sugar. Not very good for animals.

nicola7_2 · 13 September 2006 at 10:33AM

I found a brilliant site explaining how to make an indoor cage for a guinea pig! You buy utility cube wire shelving from Argos- £7.99, and get some corrogated plastic (coroplast, correx) and make a tray out of that, then set up the wire panels around it. Google C & C cages for more info!!! Beats £100 pounds and up at the pet shops!!

gkhej · 13 September 2006 at 10:37AM

My vet has recently started a 'scheme called 'three for life' (I think). Basically, I have paid the equivalent of 3 years injections (£120 for the dog) and will receive f.o.c. boosters for the rest of her life. Obviously taking the gamble that she lives for at least 3 years and it ties us to the same vet for her injections but I thought it was a good scheme. It's open to all animals and I beleive quite a few vets are using the scheme - worth asking about maybe!

LizD_2 · 13 September 2006 at 10:45AM

nicola7 wrote:

I found a brilliant site explaining how to make an indoor cage for a guinea pig! You buy utility cube wire shelving from Argos- £7.99, and get some corrogated plastic (coroplast, correx) and make a tray out of that, then set up the wire panels around it. Google C & C cages for more info!!! Beats £100 pounds and up at the pet shops!!

My GPs have one of those, cost about £30 pounds to set up and much bigger than a conventional cage. I mainly did this because I was worried they wouldn't have enough room, but the cost was a bonus!

You can buy bedding in huge bags from horse feed suppliers, but watch out for chunks of wood that havn't been chopped small enough. Alternatively, Aubiose is made from hemp and is safe for small furries (as far as I know), costs about £7 for a big bag.

Loo/kitchen roll tubes make great toys too.

bulchy · 13 September 2006 at 11:05AM

Not for everyone, I know, but we feed our dogs BARF (Bones and raw food diet) Very cheap, and feeding a more natural diet has cut down on vet fees, one of my dogs constantly had upset stomachs when he was fed commercial dog food, but hes never had a problem since changing his diet. I wont bore you with the details, but if anyone wants to look into this, I'm no expert but I can point you in the right direction regarding websites,books etc.
Sue

couponqueen_2 · 13 September 2006 at 11:06AM

Make friends with your local offices - solicitors, estate agents, etc - they are often very willing to give you bags of shredded paper for bedding. My guinea pigs love it and a friend uses it for her horse who's allergic to hay!
coupon queen

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Great Feed, House and Keep Your Pets Hunt

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