#and i'm having to replace my cat's litter boxes and that's been more expensive than i wanted it to be | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

somecunttookmyurl · 1 year

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Hi, do you have a sec to talk having a cat for a pet? I've been wanting to hit up the shelter and see if I can't take one (or maybe a pair) home for a good while now and while I have a smidge more money than even a few months ago, I'm still arguably Poor Enough that I've also been checking and rechecking to make sure I've thought about all/most the costs that are connected to cats.

Is there anything that you think people often forget about when they try to do the budget maths that's a bit more past the regular upkeep and standard stuff like surprise vet bills, insurance, 'fuck you I'm not eating this brand of food anymore', and periodically replacing stuff that either breaks or wears down?

I would hate to commit only to realise I don't have the funds after all, y'know?

ummm not really? remember to budget for regular yearly vaccinations. even if cats are 100% indoor you can still bring stuff in from outside so they could still get those illnesses and a lot of insurance doesn't cover routine care

honestly i don't have pet insurance at all because most of them cover fuck all for the first like... year (and 2 years in the case of dental which like. what) and the list of things they don't cover is ridiculous. if you're in the UK and financially struggling (you do not have to be unemployed or on benefits) you can register with the PDSA for reduced cost vet treatments. otherwise just hit up the least extortionate one and keep a separate savings account for potential vet bills.

(insurance won't even insure 2 of my cats because bean is FIV positive and siouxsie has a slightly dodgy kidney. i mean slightly. she doesn't even have to take meds for it that's how slightly. but these are "pre existing conditions" that invalidate them like again. what. is the point. of you)

but no you've not forgotten anything. outside the initial "buying everything" expense cats really aren't that spendy as far as pets go. if you can afford it i'd recommend buying food in bulk and larger bags of litter. it normally works out quite a bit cheaper to get like... 120 pouches of food once every 4 months than getting a small box every 12 days yanno (by the time the next shipment rolls around you'll definitely have enough if you just keep x aside a week for it it's just that first one that gets you) oh. boyfriend pointed out having a little treats budget too. sweeties.

good luck also please show me the baby i need to see the baby

#if you keep your cat indoors (PLEASE KEEP YOUR CAT INDOORS) the chances of some kind og #horrific accident or injury needing emergency care is siginificantly smaller #idk man i just found pet insurance to be extremely not worth it and it cost me more than not having it ymmv though #bf also doesn't have insurance bc they refused to cover his cat for the preexisting condition of 'being a persian'

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heedra · 3 years

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I have a sort of, maybe, weird question. Some day, down the line, when I'm in a better place, my fiancee and I would love to have some other animals. We love rodent/prey animals for being super cute, and we have considered rats. I guess I'm curious how expensive they are to take care of? I've had guinea pigs before and they weren't too bad, but I know they're not entirely comparable, so I'm wondering how much they are to really take care of, say on a monthly basis, so I can make considerations far in advance of taking on new animals.

this is a good question! they definitely don't compare to dogs and cats in terms of upkeep costs, but they're absolute not as cheap as a lot of people would assume. gonna break it down by talking about some of the main cost categories i'd say there are below the readmore

Initial supplies: $200+. Nearly any suitable rat cage on the market that's not also a pain and a half to use is going to be 100 dollars or more unless you're lucky enough to find one used. Rats also need a cage that's pretty heavily furnished with sleeping areas, climbing aids, hides, and enrichment objects. If you're starting from scratch I'd be prepared to put down at least two hundo towards the initial setup (but investing in a good setup, especially a sturdy cage, is well worth it) Food: Varies, about $12 a month for me for their base diet kibble. Definitely the cheapest of their regular necessities. It's good to give them healthy fruits, veggies and treats to supplement on occasion, but they can eat a lot of things you'd buy for yourself, so I don't find I spend too much extra on that. Bedding/Litter: Varies, I pay about maybe $50 a month. Probably the priciest monthly expense for me, because if you're using a bedding the rats can dig in, which i would highly recommend over fleece because it's way better enrichment, the downside is you're going to have to replace it with clean stuff every week. i use crinkle-paper or shredded paper bedding myself, which can be handmade if u got a shredder and a lot of newspaper, but will cost you like 15 bux a pop from a pet store (I'm trying to look into cheaper ways to get it in bulk atm bc its definitely crazy frustrating to have to spend that much on shredded paper, but i consider it worth it in the meantime because its so much better at allowing them natural behaviors than fleece would be) I also use unscented newspaper cat litter for their boxes, but I use this up way slower and wouldn't consider it a prohibitive cost at all. Honestly I think what I spend is way more expensive than I need to be so I’d take this price here with a grain of salt. Enrichment: Varies. Rats need new stuff in their enclosure to interact with, constantly, or they get bored. You technically don't ever have to spend a cent to do this bc there's plenty of enrichment you can make out of objects in your home (and plenty of more stuff you can get at the dollar store alone) but it's worth considering. Medical Expenses: Varies, but DO anticipate it. I think this is the least anticipated cost of owning rats, but a critical one. Rats are pretty delicate creatures and it's pretty common for them to get upper respiratory infections that require antibiotics to treat. Male rats can also become hormonally aggressive when they hit sexual maturity and require neutering to coexist with their cagemates. Rescued rats or rats purchased from feeder outfits may also require treatment for mites. While the cost of these procedures has, in my experience, been way cheaper than any medical expense for a dog or cat, it's still not cheap, per se. Think the 50-150 dollar range.

#long post #ratblogging #i could have answered this very briefly in hindsight #im sorry

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tser · 7 years

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hey- i'm sure this is annoying and im sorry, but i need help. i really want to keep my cat inside, but she won't let me. and i mean really won't let me. she pees on everything and runs out when anyone opens the door even for a second. if a guest comes or my mom goes to work she's out. my mom yells at me for her peeing on things, too. im chronically ill and physically disabled (i can't even walk without a mobility aid) so i can't chase her or clean the pee. what do i do????

It’s very hard when you live with parents and other people to dictate these sorts of things, I’m sorry.

However, the peeing on things is likely a different issue than the “needing to go out” one.

Has the cat been to the vet for this issue? Sometimes it is about pain or illness and that should be ruled out first. Urinary tract infections, paw pain, all sorts of things can lead to litter box “misses”. Vet visit should be your first step.

Is your kitty declawed? Unfortunately declawed cats usually have litter box issues.

Is your kitty spayed? This is important for both litter box use and bolting.

How many litter boxes do you have? What kind of litter box? Where are they each located? What kind of litter do you use?

You should have at least one per “level” of your home, and one per cat plus one. Thus if you have one cat in a one level house or apartment, you should have at least two litter boxes. If you have a basement plus a two level home you should have at least three. More is better! If your cat has access to something like a garage, there should be an additional one in there as well.

In addition, cats can be very picky about litter. Some cats only like fine grained, others prefer pelleted. There are many kinds of litter, so I encourage you to offer a variety of boxes with different litters and see which your cat likes. There’s also a litter called “Cat Attract” that helps some cats like the litter.

Cats can also be very picky about the type of box. It should be nice and large so they don’t feel constrained (or miss). Many cats do not like small boxes to use. Also, many cats do not like covered boxes, where they might feel trapped (and which traps smells).

Make sure there’s enough litter in the box. Cats generally like it pretty deep.

You should clean the box multiple times a day. Once in the morning and once at night is enough for most cats, but some cats are even more fastidious and need it cleaned three times.

Scooping should be done multiple times daily; litter should be changed once a month, but more often if the cat seems to start missing as the month wears on.

Make sure the boxes are no where near the food and water. Cats do not like going near where they eat or drink. (Usually water and food should also be far from each other; many cats do not like to eat where they drink.)

These all apply whether your cat is making it to the box for poo but not pee, also. They often have different issues about the things and it is especially important to check the kitty’s urinary health if the cat is only missing the box when it comes to peeing.

As for the bolting issue, I’ve had many door darting cats before! This is a training issue. You can train cats! You just have to find what really motivates them.

There are a few things that can help.

I also know how hard this can be with a mobility aid you have to maneuver through doors, as I use one too. It means the door is open longer. It means you can’t put up physical barriers like baby gates also, because you can’t step over them.

There are screens that close with magnets that you can put over outside doors. They are not actually a barrier, you can push right through them; but they stop many cats because they think about it as a barrier. It gives you that extra chance to turn the cat away. Another option is simply to hang a sheet over the door.

The most ideal safety option, if you own your home, is a fenced courtyard or “safety catch” enclosure outside the door, fully enclosed or with cat proof fencing. Only open one door at a time, and if the cat darts out the entry way, she can’t leave the courtyard/catch. Unfortunately this requires you own your home (usually) and can be very expensive (though if you know someone handy there cheaper ways to build it). This page has samples of kinds of cat proof fences, though it is oriented towards making safe outdoor enclosures. A fully enclosed safety catch could be built for pretty cheap using not much more than PVC pipe, zip ties, and wire mesh; but it wouldn’t be pretty and some neighborhoods would frown on that.

If you have a house or apartment with multiple outside doors, switch up which door you go through. Make it so your cat can’t anticipate which door you’ll be leaving or coming in through. Or, if you have a connected garage, it’s a perfect built in safety catch. Go out the door into the garage, make sure the cat is indoors and close that door, then leave through the door to the outside or the main garage door. Unfortunately not everyone rents or owns a place with a setup like this.

Clicker training is an ideal way to train cats, and you can train all sorts of behaviors with it! It is one of the best ways to train a cat not to bolt. Here is a good video about clicker training cats. There is a lot of information available online! I’ve trained my cats to do all sorts of tricks which are both fun and useful.

If there is someone else in the house, then closing the cat into a room while one person enters or leaves is an option. Some cats will do okay closed into a room while all the people are gone for short periods, others will find this really stressful; don’t do this if the cat would find it stressful. If you do close her into a bedroom or something whenever you go out, I suggest making it a very comfortable and happy experience. Offer treats or food, put a warming bed in there, etc.

Do not greet the cat at the door, or show the cat affection at the door. Make the door an ignore-the-cat-zone. When you come home, greet the cat at the other side of the room. Set up a cat zone there, such as a warming bed and/or cat tree. Give some treats every time you leave or come home, on the tower. If they are high value treats, the cat will learn to run over there when you’re about to leave or when you come home. As you’re leaving, consuming the treats will occupy the cat. (I suggest Pure Bites freeze-dried chicken or turkey, most cats love them. For picky cats, bonito flakes are a good choice. If the cat gets dry food usually, wet food may be a good choice.)

Catnip works for some cats that aren’t food-motivated.

If your cat bolts food and giving high value treats won’t keep the cat there long enough to get out the door, you may want to give the treats in a puzzle toy, that keeps the cat occupied longer, whenever you leave.

Play with your cat before leaving. Just swinging a fishing-rod style toy around can help. If you aren’t physically able to swing a toy around, try one of the electronic toys that swing a toy, or otherwise move. Tire the kitty out if possible, get at least a little of their energy out otherwise. You should play with your cat for 20 minutes a day, every day. Cats need to work off energy! If your cat is coming over to the door while you try to leave, or when someone is coming home, try throwing a toy towards the other end of the room, or having someone swing the cat’s favorite toy on the other side of the room.

Make sure the cat has plenty of different toy options inside the house, so the cat doesn’t seek the outdoors because she’s bored. Rotate the toys regularly so the cat doesn’t get bored of them. Catnip toys can be rejuvenated by storing them in a tub of catnip or spraying them with catnip oil. Catnip toys, ball tracks, kickers, etc. all appeal to different cats. Make sure the cat has choices for places to be and perch, such as tall towers or cat shelves, or window seats.

As counter intuitive as it seems, leash training can help. If your cat knows that when the harness goes on, only then does she get to go outside, then she may run to her harness and leash instead of to the door. (Again, keep it away from the door.) Do not let the cat cross the threshold herself. Make sure she is carried out the door, so she learns bolting does not get her outside. Also this method will only work if she is not allowed to go outside on her own, consistently, so shutting her in a room or distracting her with treats needs to be used for a while first. Be sure to go slowly with harness training, and make it positive! Many cats react poorly to just having a harness put on them and then being dumped outside on a leash. Here is a guide to leash training!

A catio may also help; an outdoor, fully enclosed area the cat cat enjoy, reaching it through a cat door, window, or similar opening. These can be built or bought. If your cat has a safe option for going outside, she may be less inclined to bolt outside. It is not always an option to build one if you live in an apartment or rent, but many are non-permanent structures that won’t damage the house. You can even make them out of wire cube shelving.

It may help for your cat to associate the door area with unpleasant sensations. These are very mild aversives, and since the human is removed from the equation, they associate the ickiness with the door, and not with their people. A Scat Mat or other electric static mat at the threshold to prevent the cat from waiting right there at the door. Sticky double sided tape on the floor at the threshold is a cheap method but it will need to be replaced quite often, since it will get gucked up quickly with people walking (and rolling) in and out. Many cats will only need to step on it once or twice before they avoid the area, and eventually you would be able to do away with the tape altogether.

In an absolutely worst case scenario... using a squirt bottle may be a valid choice. I highly suggest you try all the other things first, and give them time and consistency to work. I do not recommend squirting cats as a form of training, as positive methods are usually more effective in the long run for cats, squirting can cause trust issues, and they may associate you with the squirt bottle. However, bolting out the door is a safety issue, and sometimes we need to employ aversive methods to keep our pets safe. DO NOT squirt the cat in the face. Squirt on the body, such as the chest. When you come home, open the door a crack, if the cat is there, squirt through the crack, then close the door. Closing the door afterwards and not coming right in means the cat is less likely to associate the squirt with you. You want the cat to think of the door as the source of the negative experience, not you.

Again, I highly suggest the other methods of training and safety first!

I hope this helps, and please let me know if you have any other questions.

#catblr #indoor cat #cat #cat health #cat safety #cat litter box #litter box #missing the litter box #cat pee #unsanitary #cat care #cat husbandry #cat training #my posts #Anonymous

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bunsinmyheadandtheywontgo · 7 years

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I'm very interested in starting farming rabbits for meat. How much did it cost you to start up? How much does it cost you monthly? If you don't feel comfortable answering that that's cool! I'm just trying to see if I could afford it or if I need to save up.

The cost is going to be pretty variable depending on where you live and what your current setup is and how much work you’ll need to pour into getting it ready. The bulk of my expenses were for chicken wire, hardware cloth, and tools to convert a 12 x 24 area in our barn into a rabbit- and (mostly) predator-proof enclosure. The initial cost of materials ran me about $300 - but I had a fair amount left over and have been able to use it to make things like tractors (moveable grazing pens).

My other major expense, and you don’t have to do what I did, was that I jumped the gun and spent way too much money on breeding stock before I had the details of raising rabbits ironed out. I was overly optimistic about the project (a typical novice move lolz) and lost the vast majority of my initial buns and their litters to both known and unknown factors during the first year. Since then, I committed to not purchasing any more rabbits until I have some successful (meaning, growing out to “frying” age) litters and have replenished my breeding stock from them. I should have just started like everyone else with a breeding trio - a buck and two does. You should be able to find proven, breeding age meat rabbits for sale pretty easily on craigslist or local FB groups, and they generally run $25-40/rabbit (more if you want pedigreed ones). Fryers/kits in the 8-12 week old range around here go for $10-15 each.

My food cost is insanely low. I currently have 6 adult rabbits and spring in Texas means I hardly need to use pellets at all - in fact, One-Two’s first litter (only 3, but still) are over 4 weeks old now and have been purely grazed for their lives so far (along with nursing, of course). One-Two has been grazing with them all this time and sustained a pregnancy giving birth to 9 kits just being grazed as well. I have one other adult in a tractor grazing full time right now, and each day I pull up tall grass or mower clippings (housemate does a fab job of maintaining our 5 acres, and sometimes rakes little piles for the buns) for the barn buns. I do have a 2-string square bale of coastal hay in the barn for them as well which was $9.50 at the local feed store. That should last another 2 months at least. Pellets, when I do buy them, run about $16 for a 50 lb bag which lasts, in winter without use of grazing, about a month. I bought 2 50lb bags mid-January before my out of state trip and haven’t had to buy more yet - but like I said, it’s spring and Texas, so we have more vegetation than we know what to do with.

Substrate/shavings are cheap - I only have to replace bedding every 3 months or so. I can usually cover their whole area with large flake shavings for less than $15, and the buns tend to pull down a layer of hay on top of it as they eat from the bale.

As enrichment goes, rabbits are pretty easy to keep happy. I use cardboard boxes and large storage bins and cat tunnels and even an old mailbox to provide private spaces for them. Scrap plywood and large rocks make for great bunny playgrounds. Unused wire dog crate dividers make for excellent “bunny buffets” for holding fresh picked weeds and grass. Re-arrange the elements every week or so and the curious buns will be grateful to have new places to explore. I’ve spent $0 on this kind of housing/entertainment for them inside the colony.

Admittedly, it has not been as cheap as I thought it would be, but I also majorly messed up in some ways and didn’t have to do this on such a large scale. Worth noting that this is for a colony setup and I don’t have an approximate cost if you’re going to be using cages/hutches, but I do know your upfront cost is probably going to be quite a bit more depending on how many buns you plan on housing.

Hope this helps! I’d really encourage you to give it a shot - just learn from my mistakes lolz. Starting small is totally okay and I wish you all the success in the world!

#raising rabbits #meat rabbit #asks

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