Reduce the Cost of Pet Ownership

Pet ownership can be expensive. We are here to help. Listed below are 9 money saving tips to help you save money on your pet, and stay on budget. Enjoy.

Tip 1: Clean up your own dog’s mess: There are many weekly “dog mess” cleaning services who come to your home to clean up any mess that has been made. These services can cost around $40 a month. Spend 10 minutes a week doing it yourself and you will save yourself $40 a month.

Tip 2: Go easy on training: The average cost of training is $40 a cat proof fence . After a few months this cost really starts to add up. Do the training yourself. A stun gun is particularly effective. Use this and they’ll be driving the car and doing your tax returns in no time! (joking of course!)

Tip 3: Hire a trainer to show you how to train: The $40 is well worth its money if the trainer teaches you how to train your pet.

Tip 4: Go easy on gourmet snacks: The gourmet pet snack industry has boomed in recent years. There are hundreds of high cost items for you to treat your pets with. Honestly, the cheaper ones do just the same job. Save yourself some money and get the cheaper snacks for your pet.

Tip 5: Erect or maintain your fences: Your pets are less likely to contract diseases or be attached by wild animals (ok probably not a huge chance of this!), and are less likely to be in an accident or involved in another type of mishap. All of this has the potential to save you money in the long run. You are also much more likely to get on better with your neighbours when your pet isn’t running through their yard.

Tip 6: Pet proof your home: General foods such as chocolate can be dangerous for your pets, as can many household cleaners. Before you pet comes home (or do it now if you already have a pet), pet proof your home to make sure anything dangerous is out of reach. This has the potential to save you a lot of money in unexpected medical bills.

Tip 7: Use Newspaper as kitty litter: Newspapers are generally available free at the end of the day from news agencies. Grabbing these papers and shredding them yourself is a great way to reduce the money you spend on your cat.

Tip 8: Use newspapers for puppy toilet training: Same as for the above tip. It’s a cheap option to help you with your puppy’s toilet training.

Tip 9: Don’t follow the fad: New toys and accessories may seem great as an added luxury to your pet, however the benefit your pets get out of it generally isn’t that much. You are better off saving some money and buying your pet some tennis balls, or a mouse on a stick.