Budgets & Cats- Saving On Cat Purchases

Looking to not spend an arm and a leg on your new cat lady status? I’ve got you covered fellow cat lady! 

I picked up my child on Feb 4th, 2015. Although we had met two weeks prior, I asked his foster family if they could keep him until after I had moved into my new apartment.  As I came to find out later that I was his third try at a home, they were anxious to say yes. After being gifted a few free items he had been using, I put him in his carrier and drove home like I had precious cargo. I did. I had my fur baby Harrison George in the car.

As I watched him inspect his new surroundings, I was giddy with excitement. I felt ready for my new responsibility and had stocked up on new cat supplies, with everything from food to bedding and toys. I sat waiting for him to lay in his new bed but he only wanted mine. I gave him toys, he broke a candle. After I had bought five kinds of wet food, I realized he just didn’t like. Yeah, I spent a ton of money on this guy and then slowly but surely, learned how to reign in my cat lady spending habits. We’re here to help you save where you can so you can spend more on the good stuff- the treats.

Adopt, Don’t Shop

Be frugal right out of the gate in your cat lady journey and adopt. Although it’s rarer for someone to purchase a professionally bred cat than a dog, it still happens quite frequently. I see people in Facebook cat groups who spend thousands on Savannahs or Persians, which seems ridiculous to me. SO many cats need homes and are filling shelters, so why pay for a specifically bred one?

Cats do not need to be designer or come with a $1,000+ price tag. Spend time researching cat behaviors and types, then go over to your local ASPCA to check them out. Trust me, even without having to pay an arm and a leg, your local shelter will have a ton of cats to chose from. This will also give you a chance to interact with the cat first to see if your behavior and mannerisms click. Before you bring any pet home, you always want to meet and interact with them in person first.

Prevention Is Key

Do you ever wonder how people can drive the same car forever? You assume they have the best luck then realize they take extremely good care of it. They regularly take their car in for routine maintenance such as oil changes and anticipate replacing items such as tires and belts. They also don’t drive like they are NASCAR drivers, make sure their tank is always full and wash their car weekly. I’m not one of these people but I really do aspire to be.

However, I am definitely this way when it comes to my cat. If he sneezes, I’m pretty much taking him to the vet. I’m overly cautious with him because of his FIV so I’m always in the vet’s office. But because I am in the business of prevention, he is one of my vet’s healthiest FIV patients. As part of being a good pet owner, and saving money, schedule the annual exams. Take advantage of low-cost vaccine clinics, spay, and neuter when applicable and make sure your pet is taking any medicine. Don’t neglect their health because this is how minor things can end up causing thousands.

You Don’t Need Everything Pinterest Says You Do

After deciding to bring home Harrison, my BF and I went shopping. I needed a couch for my new apartment anyway so we had decided to pick up additional items when out and about. My BF wanted to go to the dollar store and I laughed. What, you think he’s a peasant?!?! He’s getting some fancy bowls from Ross!

Well, what do you know? His fancy bowls from Ross rusted and I ended up buying new ones from the dollar store. He ignored his cat bed until I finally put it in front of the window. And he had no interest in my couch unless I was sitting on it and he wanted to be near me. I had spent a ton of money on a cat who wouldn’t even wear a collar or touch a toy from Petsmart. His toys of choice were my hair ties and bottle caps, both free.

I could have saved over a hundred dollars if I had gotten to know my cat first. When adopting your new companion, stick to the basics and get to know them first. Your cat could be playful or just lazy. He might think bottle caps are the bee’s knees and could care less about this ten dollar toy with feathers you thought was cute.

Try The Dollar Store

If your cat DOES like toys besides bottle caps and hair ties, huzzah! Head over to your local dollar store and behold all of the goodies you can score for your new child. Seriously, you can buy everything for your cat within reason at this place. Ceramic bowls, dry food, mats, towels, toys and collars are just a few of the items you can snag for a buck here.

Once I decided to quit being a snob at Petsmart, I stocked up at the dollar store for some goodies for Harrison. I have found the ceramic bowls here are the best and so are the toys for their value. Really, who needs to spend more than a dollar on balls with bells in them? I’ve also been able to find a container for his treats, pet pads for accidents and flea treatments. Like any other medications, I’d say be careful and do research, especially with your furry friend. They can’t communicate if something is wrong so be cautious.

Use Amazon

If you have an Amazon Prime account or easy access to one, check out the prices on cat products. This never even occurred to me until after I had owned my cat for a year so don’t be like me. Use them now.

After realizing some of my hair products were way cheaper on Amazon, I researched pet meds. Harrison is FIV positive and his main prescription costs $44 plus at the vet’s office. It’s not one I purchase monthly so signing up for a monthly pharmacy delivery seemed a bit steep to me but so did the vet. I realized I could get his medicine from a reputable seller through Amazon for less than $29. I may only buy this medicine every other month, but any money saved adds up over time.

Like anything else in life, you can purchase just about anything for your cat on Amazon. Some people even find it to be cost-effective for their food and litter. It wasn’t for me due to the next tip I’m about to mention until I bought a self-cleaning litter box. Due to my chronic health issues, it hurts to bend over sometimes. So, I thought it would be a wise investment. My friend found them extremely mark downed at Petsmart for $70 so she scooped one up for each of us. Besides saving my back, it had saved my apartment. However, the cost of those trays wasn’t saving my wallet. Lo and behold, if you buy them in bulk on Amazon, you save $5 off each one. Now, I honestly break even with my previous litter expenses. Thanks, Amazon!

Figure Out Sales & Shop Them

Do you ever go somewhere regularly and realize things tend to go on sale every few weeks? It’s true, stores like Target roll out deals in cycles. This means every six or eight weeks, certain items go on sale or have a free gift card with purchase offer attached. Not only are foods and clothing rolled out like this but so are household items and pet products.

During these sales, take time to stock up on cat essentials, such as litter and food. When you time these deals just right, you can match up coupons and get things at a much lower price versus buying them when you run out. It’s the worst anyways when it’s midnight at night and there is no more dry food.

Purchase items in bulk so you have them ready and on hand until the next sale rolls around. You don’t need to every buy anything at full price if you can absolutely help it. Save that money for the vet!

Take Time To Enjoy Your Cat

What’s the point of having a pet if you don’t take time to enjoy them? Cats get a bad wrap of being aloof and mean. And I’m not going to lie, sometimes Harrison ignores me and bites me out of nowhere. You know, normal cat behavior. But, if I am never home, I notice my cat gets anxiety and is especially aggressive towards me. Cats notice when you like them and cats notice when you’re not home. They get lonely too.

Take time to relax at home and hang out. Read a book, drink some hot tea or binge watch that show you’ve been meaning to on Netflix. Try knitting while your cat pounces on the extra string. Besides staying in and saving some money, your blood pressure and heart rate are going down just being around your feline. You can only imagine what you’re doing for his.

Closing Remarks

Being a cat lady doesn’t have to be expensive! By utilizing all of the tips we’ve provided above, your feline friend can actually be a sensible line item in the budget. Be sure to be in the act of prevention and take good care of your new fur baby. In return, they’ll take good care of you too.