1. If you have an indoor cat
that never goes outside to "do his
business," then you are probably
buying kitty litter. Well, you'll never
have to buy kitty litter again and can
save yourself over $100 a year buy using
shredded paper. Invest in a paper
shredder and a paper cutter, collect old
newspapers or any kind of paper, and
shred it up! If you have one cat, you'll
probably have to change the paper in the
box once a day. If you can't afford a
paper shredder and paper cutter (the
paper cutter is used to cut the newspaper
into "digestable" sizes for the
shredder), check with a law office or any
type of large office complex which shreds
lots of paper on a daily basis. Shredding
old newspapers is a good way to recycle
and besides, who really needs
"scented kitty litter? Does your cat
"waste" really need to smell
like roses?
2. Dogs love bones like a
dog loves a belly rub. Check with your
butcher to see if they are throwing out
old bones. You may also be able to get
your hands on scraps of fat trimmed from
large cuts. Your dog will love both of
them.
3. When you are taking a
shower, you probably let the water run
for awhile until it gets hot enough for
you to get in, right? So why not stick a
bucket under that cold water instead of
wasting it down the drain? You can then
use that water for your dog. If you have
some water left over, use it for your
plants, garden or even to flush the
toilet.
4. Medical care for your
pet can be expensive and sometimes even
cost prohibitive if you are living on a
fixed income. Here are several ideas for
affordable pet health care.
If you live near
a university, an SPCA office, or
Human Society you can inquire
with them and explain your
situation, they might be able to
help you and your beloved pet.
Buy your meds
online where you can get 50 to 75
percent discounts. Check on
ebay.com, 1800petmeds.com,
petrx.com, petsmart.com or
discountpetmedicines.com
Check out a good
book from the library on dog care
or cat care such as: The
Humane Society of the United
States Complete Guide to Dog Care
Dogs: The Ultimate Care Guide:
Good Health, Loving Care, Maximum
Longevity Dog Owner's Home
Veterinary Handbook: ASPCA
Complete Dog Care Manual. For
Cats - check out: The
Humane Society of the United
States Complete Guide to Cat
Care: Cat Owner's Home Veterinary
Handbook (Cat Owner's Home
Veterinary Handbook): ASPCA
Complete Cat Care Manual: The
Ultimate Illustrated Guide to
Caring for Your Cat.
5. GET YOUR PET NEUTERED.
Spend a little now to get your pet spayed
or neutered and you will save yourself a
lot more in the future. Pets that are
spayed or neutered have less medical and
behavioral problems.
6. If your pet is
destructive in the house, this is because
he or she is bored, lonely and wants a
little attention. Take your pet for a
long walk and play with it, the exercise
will do you both some good.
7. When it comes to food,
you can get into a lot of financial
trouble if you try to cater to their
picky tastes. Learn how to make your own
dog food by mixing left overs with rice
cooked in milk, or search for other pet
food recipes on the internet. Throw in a
few cooked carrots as they are always
good for dogs. Remember that nutrion is
the key and most dry dog food is
nutriously balanced. Unfortunately, picky
dogs don't always find it the most
tasteful. Turn that dry food into gourmet
by pouring some hamburger greese on it
the next time you cook hamburger.
Although you want to make sure you dog
never goes hungry, an overweight dog can
is liable to have more health problems,
which can increase your vet bill. You can
learn more about how to make dog food or
how to make cat food by searching on the
internet.
8. Compare prices on
generic pet food compared to name brand.
You'll find that the generic has almost
the same ingredients and nutrional values
but costs less.
9. If you have a cat that
sheds a lot of fur, make sure you comb it
often with a simple human comb. You don't
need to buy a special cat comb to do the
job. Comb them once a week and you will
have less cat hair on the furniture
(which ruins it's appearance) and this
will also prevent your cat from getting
fur balls (when they lick themselves
clean, they swallow hair which forms a
ball in their "wind pipe" and
causes them to cough and choke, resulting
in a trip to the vet.
10. If you need to get
your cat or dog spayed or neutered but
can't afford it, there are usually
non-profit animal protection groups that
can help you cover the costs. Google
non-profit animal shelters in your area
and inquire them about receiving help.
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