Living Affordably With Pets

This winter, my puppy got some sort of sickness and that he vomited every day once or twice for a few day. So I put him on a 24 hours fasting, and then cooked some chicken and rice to feed him. After four days of this rice and chicken, he is complete well again. I found that it is so easy to do, and so much more affordable that I might do this regularly, but just add different vegetable to it.

 

I used to give my cat tuna and many people do that and it's fine. I'm not sure about vegetables for a dog, but each animal is different and some have delicate digestive systems. A friend gave her dogs pizza and lets say that didn't work and all I could think it was a waste of pizza.

Animals need to fed properly and that means food that is meant for them.

 

I enjoy making homemade dog treats at home with people ingredients. I have several different recipes. One calls for baby food and another uses applesauce. Our dogs also take fish oil. I buy it in liquid form that comes in a pump. It really helps our lab with shedding. Her coat is so shiny!

 

I think table scraps can save you some money.

Yes I've read a lot of articles which attempt to make pet owners think that table scraps aren't great for dogs but fact is as long as you don't give your dogs any bones that splinter easily, chicken bones and the like, then your dog will be OK.

 

I've been reading up on home made cat food, since I have cats. I limit the tuna that I give them, because I've been told in the past that it breaks down their Vitamin E, which is not good. So, I limit that to occasional treats, and sometimes mix in a bit for added flavor. Instead of adding rice, I add some cooked oatmeal in with some canned food, scrambled eggs (just a little, for added protein), small pieces of lettuce if I have them, and finely chopped cooked carrots. I mash it all up, add some water, because my cats are older, and tend to be dehydrated. I also add in some Missing Link Feline Veterinary Formula, because from what I've read, it seems pet food manufacturers have been using lower quality ingredients, and my cats could use a mineral/vitamin boost.

 

Our dogs don't like dog food, so we give them table food everyday. I used to give my cat cat food, and it turned out to be harmful for his kidneys since he developed kidney stones, so after that I never gave him any more cat food and I just gave him table food. Table food is enough for cats and dogs if you're on a budget.

 

Yes, I used to have both a cat and dog at the same time. The cat would eat the dog's food, and the dog would be more attracted to, and eat, the cat's food. It was amusing in the beginning, but then I learned it could be harmful, so I had to feed them in separate rooms, and sometimes fed the kitty up on the counter, so the dog couldn't reach his food. It's difficult when you're struggling financially, and pet food can be expensive. There are some programs available that can help, depending on income level. I don't quality for assistance, but I believe one is called Animeals. You could try checking that out, maybe do a search on the word or similar phrasing. I don't think some people food is bad. One of mine was on the streets longer than the others, and she really prefers people food, since I guess that's what she was used to eating, but I will mix a little of my food in with cat food for her, plus give her the boost I mentioned above, with the vitamin and mineral supplement.

 

@Diane Lane, Most cheap pet foods are quite harmful for the pet, like Whiskas, Friskies, etc. So now I avoid them like the plague. But the more expensive ones like Purina are safe, so if I had the budget then I would buy that brand for my cat so that he can get his dose of feline nutrients.

 

Care to elaborate? I've only found bad things about the dry food, which, well.. yeah, it's dry food. The other info I've gotten was pretty much "I've heard something somewhere one time", with no proof to it.. so I wonder if you know more.

 

My cat suffered the same problem like this person posted:

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so now I tend to avoid cat food in general. I won't buy Purina now after I read that, as seeing that it's considered as cheap too.

 

Well, that only talks about dry food again. I'm more insterested in wet food.

 

I don't see many search results that claim that wet food is harmful, so maybe only dry food is the harmful one? I'm still wary of both though.

 

Yeah that's why I was wondering. And thanks to the only hits I was getting being "he said she said" sites like Yahoo answers, I really don't know.

 

I can certainly vouch for the dry one though, because my cat got ill because of it. He hasn't eaten cat food since 2006 and he hasn't had kidney problems or any ailment after that. People that share their experiences in Yahoo Answers are also the ones that you shouldn't dismiss, since they speak from experience.

 

Alright, good to know. My cat doesn't eat too much dry food, so she will be fine (she doesn't seem to like the dry food - my friend's cat didn't was the opposite, she would only eat dry food), but it's definitely good to know about that and keep that in mind.

 

Just wondering, which brand of wet cat food do you buy? I see the wet version of Whiskas and Friskies at the supermarket, and I'm wary of buying them.

 

I'm not really in the charge of buying the cat food, but we usually mix the brands. We got Whiskas, Felix, I think Purina sometimes, Friskies, etc. From what I've heard, it shouldn't be harmful to cats, since it does contain mostly meat.

 

I see, I think it won't hurt to try buying wet cat food once in a while. I remember the smallest cans are quite cheap at only a little over $1, so I might as well buy one and see if my cat will like it. If he doesn't like the taste, then I will buy the usual sardines again.

 

I give my cat some tuna, but that real adds to the cost of food, the generic cat food is cheaper, but I do like to treat him now and then.

I also sometimes give him leftover fish from other meals we are having, I think this is quite common too.