You can save on expenses for your pet (s) with simple remedies, without having to discount your favorite animal. Think, for example, of expensive food, candy, expensive toys or a luxury basket. Yet there are a number of things that you should certainly not skimp on, because otherwise you will have to pay double and thick for it later. A vet visit or remedies for ticks and fleas. An overview of what to do and what not to do!
Save on costs for your pet
When things are not going well financially, you can save on the costs for your pet. Still, you have to think about this carefully. There are things that are not important or that don’t really matter. You can drop it or do it in a cheaper way. But there are other things that you should definitely not skimp on or you could get in trouble.
Things you can leave
Expensive food
You have expensive brands of dog and cat food and you have the supermarket’s own brands. Is it really necessary that your dog or cat always gets the most expensive food? No, they can eat a generic product a few days a week. Of course you have to provide special nutrition during special times in your pet’s life. Just think of pregnant dogs and cats, puppies or kittens or older animals. They do benefit from special nutrition, because they really do need a number of special building materials. It can also be more economical to buy a large bag of nutrition. It is an investment in one go, because such a large bag of 15 kilos can easily cost between 20 and 50 euros, depending on the brand of the food and the breed and size of your animal, but the price per kilo becomes cheaper this way. In addition, you will visit the store or pet store less often and you will therefore be less inclined to bring sweets or a toy.
Candy
Speaking of candies: candies must remain candies! They can serve as a reward or for practice. But giving treats because your dog or cat is begging or because he looks so sweet is not a good idea! Ready-made dog or cat treats are also very expensive. Your pet is equally happy with a small piece of meat. And you can buy it cheaply. Consider, for example, a liverwurst that costs less than a euro, but which you can give your animal a slice of about twenty times. Good for your wallet and your pet is equally happy.
Expensive toys
Special toys are also really expensive. Just think of the monkey fists out of rope. These easily cost around 20 to 40 euros, depending on the size of your dog. You don’t know anyone who can make this yourself? An old skipper or a young person who is with the sea scouts? Ask this as a present for your dog or offer the maker a service in return (cleaning the car, mowing the lawn, shopping, helping with a task, giving an hour of free tutoring, …). Give your cat a scoop of cheap wool or a scrap of wool. She is happy with that for hours. Do you still have old socks with holes or where you can’t find the second one? Then fill them with a few treats. Button the sock and give it to your cat or dog. Good for half an hour of fun! Are you walking next to a canal and do you find a piece of truss? Take it with you, your dog can drag and bite on it. This sturdy rope will not break quickly! Use a few old planks to create a construction on which cat can give her nails free rein. No more shouting because it breaks! Then you just make a new one!
An expensive basket, scratching post or bench
Baskets for dogs and cats can also easily cost between 30 and 100 euros. Not to mention the cost of a scratching post! Especially if you have a biter or scratcher at home, this is an expensive and pointless investment! You don’t have to pay the full pot for a bench either. You can browse second-hand sites for all these attributes. Many people buy all this stuff and dispose of their dog or cat after a few months. All their pet’s things often end up on classified ad sites and can make other pets happy for a bargain price. Is the soft price too expensive for you? Then look for even cheaper alternatives. No money for a nice basket? Take a sturdy cardboard box, put some old blankets or sheets in it and sweetie or Bobby have a wonderfully soft and cozy place to nap. If they bite or scratch the box, you just take a new one. No stress, no shouting and clamor, no panic!
An expensive nanny
Suppose you want to go on holiday but your favorite animal cannot come along. You can of course take it to an expensive babysitter, a vet or a boarding house. But there are also cheap alternatives. Put an ad or think about it. There are always people who would like to keep your dog or cat for a few weeks. People who work too much to have a dog or cat themselves, but who would love to have a pet at home during their leave. Another option is a live-in babysitter. There are many young people or even less young people who would like to get away from their own home for a few weeks, who would like to change their horizons. They will then come to watch your house and also look after your pet. In addition, when your pet stays in its own familiar environment, it has less stress than when it has to go to a guest house in a strange environment, with strange people and other animals.
Dog hair salon
Trimming, cutting nails, brushing teeth. Is it necessary to spend tons of money on this by going to a specialty store? No. You can do most of these things yourself at home. Take your time for it, a little patience and Bobby or Kitty will look great again in no time.
Things you should definitely not let go of
Although you can skimp on some things, there are a number of things that you should absolutely not ignore. This for the health of your pet.
Vet visit
The annual visit to the vet and the necessary vaccinations are things you really shouldn’t miss. A disease that is detected quickly can also be easily remedied. If you take your pet to the vet when the disease is already at an advanced stage, it will become an expensive affair or perhaps nothing can even be done about it. The vaccinations are also necessary to prevent your pet from getting sick. So do it!
Animal medications
If your pet is ill, you should definitely go to the vet. Do not start experimenting with medications for humans as they are not at all suitable for animals. It can sometimes make them even sicker or worse, die. If you are there on time, the costs will not be too bad.
Giving your own vaccines
There are vaccinations that you can give yourself. It is also best not to do this. Okay, they are cheaper and you save the vet costs. But if you do something wrong, your dog or cat may end up with something or die from it. Shoemaker, stick with your reading and let the vet do this job!
Remedies against fleas and ticks
This is also an absolute necessity and it is better to suddenly buy a good product. In the supermarkets you can find cheap products, but usually they don’t work and then you spend money for nothing. So just go to the pharmacist and buy a decent remedy. It will save you a lot of money in the long run. Moreover, you also prevent your house from being riddled with nasty bugs and your pet getting sick from the bites!
Health insurance
Do you have a dog or cat with a certain risk of hereditary diseases or who is already a day older? Perhaps it is therefore wise to consider a health insurance for animals. It is an expense item, but in case of serious illness or disability, the costs can be high (surgery, medication, etc.). The damage can then be limited by reimbursement or intervention by the health insurance.
