Money Saving Tips For Cat Owners

My cat is perfectly healthy, and I am strapped for cash. Do I still need to take her to the vet?

The short answer is yes, but the longer answer is not for everything and there are a variety of ways that you can save quite a bit of money without compromising the health of your pet.

Before we get into corners you can cut, let’s discuss those you can’t. You must take your cat to a veterinarian once per year for an annual checkup. In addition to the exam, I suggest having a fecal analysis done during this visit to check for intestinal parasites. Each outside cat needs to have it’s own stool checked, but if you have multiple inside-only cats that share litterboxes you only need one stool sample. Many people are under the mistaken assumption that inside cats cannot get intestinal parasites or heartworms. Unfortunately, they can and often do. They can pick up parasites or fleas from the bottoms of your shoes and if you live in an area where there are mosquitoes, they can easily get heartworms if you don‘t give them monthly prevention. The best thing to do is always give them a combination monthly topical treatment that prevents fleas, heartworm, and intestinal parasites and continue to check for parasites annually. Parasites can cause your pet a lot of harm and can be very costly to treat if left for too long without medical attention. The test to check for these is affordable. Do this vet exam a month or two before your pet’s vaccines are due.

Now ways to save money! Once you get a clean bill of health from the vet and the shot records, you can book an appointment at a low-cost vaccine clinic for shots for the following month. These shots are the exact same vaccines given by your vet, but for a fraction of the cost. However, while you are at the vet's office, it is worth it to at least ask if a vaccine is included in the office fee or if the office fee is waved if you get vaccines. Sometimes this will be the case because veterinarians are trying to compete with the low-cost options, but most often not and vaccine clinics are the best way to go. Some vets charge up to $75 for vaccines that you can get for under $10 at a clinic.

Try buying both your pet food and your flea, heartworm, and parasite monthly topical treatment in bulk over the internet rather than at a pet store or veterinary clinic. You will save money and they may even deliver to your door.

Learn how to groom your cat yourself. Manicures, brushing, and dental care are all ways to save money if you do it at home. Manicures are around $15 at a veterinary clinic and a groom is about $35, however if your cat becomes frightened or aggressive and requires sedation you are looking at $45 and $65 respectively for these grooming procedures. A teeth cleaning with extractions can be close to $1000. A little home care will stretch your pet budget a long way and can save you tons of money in the long run.

Many health problems that occur in older cats are the result of obesity. Whatever you do, do not over feed your cat. This can result in diabetes, thyroid or kidney problems, and a whole slew of other expensive diseases that can cost you thousands of dollars over the years. Wet food is healthier and a general estimate is to give your cat about a can a day. For tooth health, serve about 1/5 cup of dry food a day as kibble helps break down tartar. Another thing I do is mix a small amount of lean meat, fish, or green vegetables from my meal into my cats’ wet food. Some of our food is toxic for cats though so before you start a new regimen please check out this great website about making your own cat food. http://www.ehow.com/articles_2052-feeding-cats.html

Another great way to save some cash is to make your own scratching posts and toys. Try attaching a long piece of wood to a very heavy base and wrapping rope around the vertical section. Cats love playing with crumpled up tinfoil or paper, or catnip tied up in an old sock. Avoid feather toys or long pieces of string unsecured to a pole as these are expensive intestinal surgeries waiting to happen.