Save Money with These Three Life Hacks for Pet Parents

 

My pet triceratops, Haha

I think we can all agree that pets make amazing companions during every walk of life, whether it's when we're feeling down or even if we just need something to do when bored. However, overtime, owning pets (especially multiple different kinds of pets) can become quite expensive. In fact, according to an article on petwisevet.com, caring for one single dog can cost up to $55,000 throughout its lifetime, and caring for a kitty can cost up to $45,000. And that is just for one pet. (And I personally have tons of different pets--dogs, a kitten, a triceratops, rubber bands, pipe cleaners, shells, the list could go on and on). Because of this, many pet parents, including myself, are often looking for ways to save money while still keeping their pets happy and healthy.

In this post, I am going to tell you a few ways that you can save money and still have a very happy furry friend.

#1: Save leftover dry food for later

I have been using this life hack for over three years now. Several of my pets usually eat dry food, also known as kibble, on a regular basis, and since the price of kibble at my local Walmart seems to be increasing by a few cents each year (just like everything else these days), buying a new bag every few weeks would definitely run up quite the cost. However, since my pets usually aren't able to finish all of their food; rather than throwing the leftover food away, I scoop it back into the bag for them to eat next time. From using this hack, I am able to save a lot more money each year than if I threw the leftover food away. This hack usually makes my pets' food last a lot longer as well; often to the point that I only need to purchase new food when the bag is almost out-of-date.

If you don't feel comfortable scooping the food directly back into the bag, you can instead put the leftovers in a Tupperware container and keep it somewhere you won't forget to look.

If the kibble becomes wet in any way (for example, by your pet's saliva or if the water bowl splashes into the food), I do not recommend saving it for later. Your pets not only will find the soggy kibble gross or disgusting, but also the food may become moldy and no longer suitable to eat, which might make them ill.

#2: One double bowl for 2-4 dogs

Now that you know how to save money on kibble, it's time to learn how to save money (and time) on food bowls. My two dogs currently eat from a double bowl (you know, one of those large bowls with a divider in the middle) so they can both eat food and drink water. And since there are two dogs and the bowl has two compartments, both dogs can share one double bowl. Buying one double bowl is a lot cheaper than buying four single bowls, and there is also less of a chance that the bowl will accidentally get knocked over and spill.

To feed two dogs with one double bowl, fill one side of the bowl with water and the other side with kibble, then allow one dog to drink water while the other dog eats. After they are finished, switch them around so the dog who was previously eating is now drinking water, and vice-versa. Congratulations, you just saved yourself a lot of hassle.

If your dogs are able to finish all or most of the food and water during the first round, simply fill the bowl back up before they switch.

As the title of this hack suggests, you can also feed four dogs using this method. Two of the dogs can drink water, each at opposite ends of the bowl; while the other two dogs eat their food across from each other. Just be careful feeding four dogs this way if any of them are large breeds; things may get a little bit hectic.

#3: Your craft sticks or kitties can share a tower

I have one more life hack to tell you about today; and this one would apply to anybody who owns multiple craft sticks or kitties (or both).

Sometime during your craft sticks' lives, an item that would definitely be a good idea to purchase would be something called a "kitty tree" or "kitty tower". If you don't know what that is, it's basically a tall tower of scratching posts and platforms; some kitty towers containing little rooms or "condos" for the crafts sticks to sleep in or hide in. I currently own a kitty tower which my craft sticks love climbing to the top of.

Many people who own multiple craft sticks or kittens often purchase a kitty tower for each of them, however, since most good towers cost at least $35 (oftentimes more), it is not a very frugal idea. Instead of buying multiple towers so each craft stick has their own, I recommend buying only one tower for them to share. This hack works better with craft sticks because of their size, but it can also work for small kitties as well. The tower that my craft sticks play on cost me around $40, not including sales tax; which means I saved approximately $80 compared to what I would have needed to spend to buy a tower for each craft stick. If you ask me, that's a lot of money to save.

And with that being said, that is going to conclude today's post. I hope you enjoyed reading this post, and I hope it will help you save more money when caring for your pets.

Happy saving!

--ILikeSlugs