Cats
- Litter! This is probably the most expensive part of having cats! After trying literally almost every litter possible, I found two that I loved: Blue Buffalo Walnut and Swheat Scoop. However my cats only liked one of those so Swheat scoop it was. I loved this product because I liked the smell, it was healthy for me, the cats, and the environment, and it was more affordable than most other non-clay based litters. However, I found a similar product that works the same and is even cheaper! Normally, a 36 lb bag of Swheat Scoop is around $35... but my new litter was under $20 for a 50 lb bag! Wanna know what it is? Chicken feed! I've been using DuMOR Chick Starter crumbles (non-medicated) and it works very well! Warning: some cats may try to eat it at first... my two idiots did. However, it didn't harm them in any way and they decided to back off after they used it for a toilet. And to be fair, my cats try to eat EVERYTHING.
- Litter box! Ever wished you could find cheaper litter boxes that were actually the size you needed? I have! After using a couple hooded boxes and the largest regular box I could find, I was frustrated. The hooded boxes were nice but they were too small, my cats hated them, and the doors still didn't keep litter from getting kicked out. The regular box was a complete mess. To combat this issue and encourage my cats to use the box every time, I made my own. I picked out large rubbermaid/ sterilite bins. Then I designed them a few different ways. In the first, I cut a front door opening and laid a regular litter box inside. I also cut a few holes in the lid to help ventilation. In the second, I simply filled the bin with litter and cut a large hole in the lid for the cats to enter. *Caution: If your holes have rough edges, please put something around them to protect your cat... I used thick tape. Now, while my cats loved the new spacey boxes, they still didn't care for the lids and I got lazy about removing them to clean so I barely ever keep them on anymore. However, both boxes still work great, are easy to clean, and the cats use them. There is still a bit of litter around the opening but nothing like before. My cats prefer the front opening box but still use the top open one.
*Update: since this time I have found it much easier to just provide several open top bins around the house with litter and have removed all the other boxes. The cats use them more, they provide more space, there is no ambushing each other at the entrance, and they are way easier to clean.
-Cleaning litter! Seriously, litter and all that comes with it is the most annoying part of having cats. However, I found that it is a little less gross when I save any plastic bag that comes into my hands (grocery bags, shopping bags, etc) and use it for the nightly scoop. That way the bags get an additional use and I can easily dispose of them immediately.
-Fun! Ever given your cats new furniture to play with? Mine love new things! Every now and then, I will get out a fold out chair, lay a hamper sideways, give them an empty box, etc. This keeps them from getting bored and it keeps me entertained! Instead of buying expensive toys, tubes, etc (which are nice, don't get me wrong), sometimes I can give them the best gift just by letting them play with an empty box or a paper bag for a few days. I also grow my own catnip now. I usually kill every plant but this one has been doing really well on my back porch!
Rats (you could probably use these with other small animals too!)
-Cage! So when I had two rats, Bubbles and Buttercup, I wished they had a bigger cage, but I knew they would be fine. However, when Bubbles passed and I wanted to give Buttercup new friends, I really needed to increase their space. I didn't want/ couldn't afford to buy a new huge cage, so I looked on yardsale sites and craigslist hoping something would come up. Luckily, it did! I found someone with the same cage I already had selling it at a great price so I decided to be creative. When I got the cage home, I messed around with it for a bit and decided to stack them and connect them with zip ties. My rats LOVE their new space! It was easy and much MUCH cheaper than buying a new cage.
* For guinea pigs and rabbits, look into C&C cages- cube and coroplast. They are simple to make and customize.
*For hamsters, gerbils, mice, hedgehogs etc. look into bin cages or cages made from furniture (lots of ideas from ikea). The bin cages can be a nice affordable way to provide lots of space.
-Cage furnishing! A big cage with playful rats needs toys! After I upgraded their home, I went to work trying to find cheap ways to make it fun for them. My favorite find was $1 storage bins. I have used these as new levels by using zip ties to attach them securely to the bars. I have used shower rings to hang them as hammocks. I have turned them on their side and filled them with bedding to create cozy beds. These are durable and cheap alternatives to expensive rat/ferret hammocks, beds, etc. I have also made fun toys by braiding ropes out of old tshirts, using pant legs as tubes, etc. I have a plastic extendable drainpipe they love to play, hide, and lounge in hanging across the cage. Be creative!
- Bedding! I've been on quite the journey trying to find good bedding. I started out using aspen (the only wood that should be used for bedding! NOT PINE OR CEDAR!). I liked that I could order it in bulk. It smelled good. However, the rats didn't love it and it gave them mites! Yikes! After the mite incident, I read that I should've freezed it before using it to be safe. However, it was time to try something else. I tried Carefresh. I loathe that stuff. It makes my lungs tighten and my eyes itch. The rats felt the same way and developed respiratory infections. So the Carefresh was out. Next I used Kaytee Soft and Cozy bedding. I love this product! However, it is pretty expensive. One way to cut costs is to introduce a litter box. Rats (and most small animals) can easily be taught to use a litter box with patience and persistence. They would much rather cuddle in clean bedding than their own filth! This can be a great thing to cut down on bedding costs by helping it last a bit longer. You can go a bit longer between complete cleanings when the droppings are isolated to one area. As I said though, it can be pricey. Currently, I have found a new way to save. I now use fleece as their bedding. I went to Walmart, bought a few yards of anti-pill fleece and cut pieces to fit the two main floors of my enclosure. I use binder clips to hold the pieces onto the cage. This has been great because when they get gross, I just shake them off outside and do a load of animal laundry. This combined with teaching them to use a litter box has really helped lower maintenance costs! For the rats and guinea pigs I used paper pellets in their litter boxes/kitchen areas. It was super cheap, unscented, and did the job.
*It can also save money to make your own fleece and uhaul moving blanket liners. The moving blankets provide an inner layer to absorb urine.
Okay, so there are some ideas to think about for today! Hope it helps! If you have any questions or comments, just let me know :)
Kelly
