Right now holiday pet toys are on clearance. Its a great time to stock up on toys, treats, and bones!
A few weeks ago we bought 4 HUGE rawhide bones normally $40 for $10. We're careful with rawhide the dogs get it occasionally and not for very long to prevent them from eatting too much.
Yesterday we bought
A stocking of rawhide chews $.70 normally $2.99
A stuffed boot toy for dogs $2 normall $8.99
A vinyl pengun $.70 normally $2.99
A stocking of cat toys $1 normally $5.99
Bag of treats $7.99 (full price!)
Sub total $12.39
After tax $13.46
Full price $28.95
Saved $16.58
Showing posts with label Dogs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dogs. Show all posts
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Free doggy fun.
We have 2 goofy dogs that LOVE to play. They also love to chew and rip their toys. Even If i buy them clearance I hate to let them tear them up, they only get the 'good' soft toys when we're playing too, to prevent ripping. But there are several free, no effort toys they love.
Ice cubes They love to chew on these! The corgi especially loves them, he comes running when he hears me break the ice cubes in the tray. He even loves to 'fish' for ice cubes in their water bowl. His whole body wiggles with joy when he is given an ice cube. He rolls onto his back and side kicking and wiggling while holding it in his mouth.
Plastic bottles We only use bottles that used to hold safe, non toxic yummy substances. Like milk, pop, vinegar, etc. I make sure its mostly empty, screw the lid back on then slide it across the floor. They chase, pounce, and flip the bottle. I take the lid as soon as they get it off. They love to lick inside the bottle and chew away. As soon as it gets broken down (a piece removed) take it away. This is fun recycling before the real recycling begins.
Pants legs off old strong pants Dh's uniform wardrobe includes Dickie type pants that are much less Strong then Dickies. (we used to buy Dickies brand but this command wont allow it) Usually the legs are still in tact when the rest of the pants give out. I cut the legs off for a dog tug toy. Sometimes he tie knots in the leg but often we leave it plain. They are free to rip, tear and bite till the pants are rags. They play tug with us, with each other and alone. (big dog stands on one end with his paw, then rips the other end with his teeth) The pants can be wadded up and thrown like a ball for retrieval (yeah right lol) and chase. The dogs often grab one end of the pant leg in their teeth, shake their heads and flip the other end around like some kind of dog ribbon dance.
Sticks We throw sticks outside for chase. Long ones allow both dogs to grab on and tug. Sometimes they get chewed on as well but I tend to discourage that they don't need chunks of wood in their stomachs.
Slightly more expensive toys they adore.
Old balls from the thrift store. I give them a through vinegar disinfection before the dogs get to play. We buy footballs, soccer balls, and volley balls. All are pumped fully before going to the boys, and even then big dogs still pops them quickly. Generally those balls go outside, and are used to play with us. Even popped they have excellent play value and can last months. Big dog LOVES footballs best. Dh taught them to step back and get down on their tummy's or front legs when we say 'Ready? Set? HUT!' its SO cute. And it keeps the excited jumping on us down because they know the throw is coming. We wont pay more then $3 for a ball and it has to be in good structural shape, we often find them for less.
Dollar store rope toys These last for a month or more, and they are kept down all the time. They make great tug, flip, and throw toys. ($1)
Laser pointer Before the city put in horribly bright street lights we used to take them outside in the dark so they could chase the laser point around the yard. Now we have to play inside, there is less room but they still adore running after it, full speed! Big dog pounces on the laser point. Little dog likes to chase. They scurry across the floor as hard as they can slipping and sliding. They love it so much if we get a remote out of the crock its kept in they get excited. Its great for getting that last bit of energy out at the end of the day, or for me to work them out when I'm ill. I like the ones from Walmart, on the battery rack. They are long, silver, with a 'flashlight' and a laser pointer in one. Usually around $4.
Now don't think my dogs are deprived, they get new expensive toys and bones. They have doggy toy chests full of fabric toys that squeak, squawk, and make all kinds of noises. But those don't stand a chance of surviving all day play. I have made them fabric toys in the past but sewing is hard for me and I hate to see them ripped apart. If you sew well you can make all sorts of nice, store bought type toys. Pets mart sells the plastic squeakers for $3 a package.
Ice cubes They love to chew on these! The corgi especially loves them, he comes running when he hears me break the ice cubes in the tray. He even loves to 'fish' for ice cubes in their water bowl. His whole body wiggles with joy when he is given an ice cube. He rolls onto his back and side kicking and wiggling while holding it in his mouth.
Plastic bottles We only use bottles that used to hold safe, non toxic yummy substances. Like milk, pop, vinegar, etc. I make sure its mostly empty, screw the lid back on then slide it across the floor. They chase, pounce, and flip the bottle. I take the lid as soon as they get it off. They love to lick inside the bottle and chew away. As soon as it gets broken down (a piece removed) take it away. This is fun recycling before the real recycling begins.
Pants legs off old strong pants Dh's uniform wardrobe includes Dickie type pants that are much less Strong then Dickies. (we used to buy Dickies brand but this command wont allow it) Usually the legs are still in tact when the rest of the pants give out. I cut the legs off for a dog tug toy. Sometimes he tie knots in the leg but often we leave it plain. They are free to rip, tear and bite till the pants are rags. They play tug with us, with each other and alone. (big dog stands on one end with his paw, then rips the other end with his teeth) The pants can be wadded up and thrown like a ball for retrieval (yeah right lol) and chase. The dogs often grab one end of the pant leg in their teeth, shake their heads and flip the other end around like some kind of dog ribbon dance.
Sticks We throw sticks outside for chase. Long ones allow both dogs to grab on and tug. Sometimes they get chewed on as well but I tend to discourage that they don't need chunks of wood in their stomachs.
Slightly more expensive toys they adore.
Old balls from the thrift store. I give them a through vinegar disinfection before the dogs get to play. We buy footballs, soccer balls, and volley balls. All are pumped fully before going to the boys, and even then big dogs still pops them quickly. Generally those balls go outside, and are used to play with us. Even popped they have excellent play value and can last months. Big dog LOVES footballs best. Dh taught them to step back and get down on their tummy's or front legs when we say 'Ready? Set? HUT!' its SO cute. And it keeps the excited jumping on us down because they know the throw is coming. We wont pay more then $3 for a ball and it has to be in good structural shape, we often find them for less.
Dollar store rope toys These last for a month or more, and they are kept down all the time. They make great tug, flip, and throw toys. ($1)
Laser pointer Before the city put in horribly bright street lights we used to take them outside in the dark so they could chase the laser point around the yard. Now we have to play inside, there is less room but they still adore running after it, full speed! Big dog pounces on the laser point. Little dog likes to chase. They scurry across the floor as hard as they can slipping and sliding. They love it so much if we get a remote out of the crock its kept in they get excited. Its great for getting that last bit of energy out at the end of the day, or for me to work them out when I'm ill. I like the ones from Walmart, on the battery rack. They are long, silver, with a 'flashlight' and a laser pointer in one. Usually around $4.
Now don't think my dogs are deprived, they get new expensive toys and bones. They have doggy toy chests full of fabric toys that squeak, squawk, and make all kinds of noises. But those don't stand a chance of surviving all day play. I have made them fabric toys in the past but sewing is hard for me and I hate to see them ripped apart. If you sew well you can make all sorts of nice, store bought type toys. Pets mart sells the plastic squeakers for $3 a package.
Thursday, December 13, 2007
I wonder
What does it say about you as a person when taking your corgi across the ferry you bring his coat? A coat that was purchased for a now huge dog but still fits your small one. And because you have to ride outside (in a partially enclosed, unheated very cold) dog area on the upper deck you bring a blanket. Then you spend a minute or two figuring out the best way to cover your lap while covering the dog. (folded in half so that he can lay on the blanket and be covered on top as well)Or that in the morning when its cold you have 3 cats on your bed, all covered in blankets. And when you go to take off the fleece you were wearing you be sure and place it body heat side down on a grateful cat. Because you know she will love the warmth but even more she wants it because it smells like you. Lets say you even went so far as to make blankets for these heat loving cats. Maybe even a rice hot pad. What would it say about you?
Sunday, December 9, 2007
Pets mart
I love petsmart. I find them to be almost always cheaper then petco. They have great sales. Last year after Christmas they had tons of toys and bones clearanced. We bought a lot of things to donate to the animal shelter and will be doing so again this year, as well as stocking up for my beasts. We were almost out of dry dog food so we headed over to them yesterday. We make the choice to feed our animals quality food and it definitely comes with a more expensive price tag. I used to feed the kitties (when it was just me, and 3 cats) friskies it was $17 for a huge bag at Costco. But when I switched to Nutro i noticed a change in their coats, they were much silkier, and they eat less. Usually we find a big bag on sale for $26 it feeds 5 cats for a month. That works out to $26/ 28 days in a month (for purposes of comparison) = 93 cents a day. About 17 cents per cat per day for dry food. I can live with that! Their health is very important to us. We feed them indoor weight management and out vet wants us to continue, but she also recommended feeding them tooth cleaning treats. The dog food is usually around $30 for 44 pounds and I think it last a little over a month but I'm not sure. $30/ 28 days = $1.07 a day. $1.07 a day / 2 dogs = .54 cents per dog per day for dry food. I marked the date we bought the food on the calender so I can figure out how long their food lasts.
PetsMart total
Total before coupons and sales $71.25
Total after sales $65.89
Total after coupons $52.23
We bought (prices include sales)
44 pounds of nutro sensitive stomach for dogs $33.99 (#30.99 after $3 coupon)
4 bowls of meow mix $1.96 (.98 after buy 4 get 2 free coupon)
2 cans 22oz purina dog food $1.68 (.68 after $1 off two coupon)
1 big box nutro bog biscuits for sensitive tummies $3.49 ($2.49 after $1 coupon) 1 whiskers lickin treats $1.59 (used coupon to get friskies treats free w purchase)
1 pouch friskies tarter control treats .99 (free after coupon)
3 bags chew eez dog rolls $9 ($6 after buy 2 get 1 free coupon)
1 bag meow mix treats $1.49 (.10 should have been free after coupon but I did not catch the cashier's error till now)
1 box busy bones $2.50 ($1.50 after $1 coupon)
1 pouch feline greenie dental treats $2.99 ($1.99 after $1 coupon)
a plastic silencer for dog tags $1
For some reason the cashier rang my $3 off coupon twice so I saved an additional $3 off everything. Strange! When I walked up to her and plucked my stack of coupons on the counter she sighed and said 'oh man! You want to use all of these??' duh. Why else would i hand them to you? To show off? To be fair this is my first cashier who gave me a little bit of a hassle since I started using coupons. I don't really care if it irritates her its completely legal and I won't pay extra because she sighs at me. Her coupon phobia is her loss! :)
PetsMart total
Total before coupons and sales $71.25
Total after sales $65.89
Total after coupons $52.23
We bought (prices include sales)
44 pounds of nutro sensitive stomach for dogs $33.99 (#30.99 after $3 coupon)
4 bowls of meow mix $1.96 (.98 after buy 4 get 2 free coupon)
2 cans 22oz purina dog food $1.68 (.68 after $1 off two coupon)
1 big box nutro bog biscuits for sensitive tummies $3.49 ($2.49 after $1 coupon) 1 whiskers lickin treats $1.59 (used coupon to get friskies treats free w purchase)
1 pouch friskies tarter control treats .99 (free after coupon)
3 bags chew eez dog rolls $9 ($6 after buy 2 get 1 free coupon)
1 bag meow mix treats $1.49 (.10 should have been free after coupon but I did not catch the cashier's error till now)
1 box busy bones $2.50 ($1.50 after $1 coupon)
1 pouch feline greenie dental treats $2.99 ($1.99 after $1 coupon)
a plastic silencer for dog tags $1
For some reason the cashier rang my $3 off coupon twice so I saved an additional $3 off everything. Strange! When I walked up to her and plucked my stack of coupons on the counter she sighed and said 'oh man! You want to use all of these??' duh. Why else would i hand them to you? To show off? To be fair this is my first cashier who gave me a little bit of a hassle since I started using coupons. I don't really care if it irritates her its completely legal and I won't pay extra because she sighs at me. Her coupon phobia is her loss! :)
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Vet
Today I took big dog to the vet.Total $220. It was not frugal but he's worth it. We went to a new vet (recommended by a friend) that charged $50 less for surgery then our favorite vet. We had him vaccinated while he was there for surgery, saving $30 visit fee. I opted not to have blood work done saving $40. Its recommended for dogs over 7 years old, big dog is 10 months old. I chose not to have microchip done at this time, which would have cost another $40. We will have it done at the base vet. We saved $120 not including the micro chip.
The new vet makes 3 different vets we use. One is far and expensive but the people are wonderful. They really care about animals. When our sweet kitty was injured we took her there. They did the whole exam with her in her crate (opens on 3 sides) I've never had a vet do that they always remove the cat. We use the wonderful vet for concerns, and emergencies. The other vet is right down the street but the doctor is a jerk. We use them only for routine procedures. I would really love it if the new vet was wonderful and inexpensive! That way we could consolidate to one vet! So far we've had a good experience. They seemed nice but I did not get to meet the doctor. They clipped his nails, and sent him home in a rope leash so we did not have to bug him to get his collar on.
I was just a small girl when my family's cocker spaniel was neutered (he passed away a few years ago at 16) and I'm used to getting cats fixed. But big dog seems to be having a tough time. His big plastic collar is always banging into things and getting stuck which freaks him out. When we take him outside he runs to the edge of the property towards the road, and when we turn him around he runs back to the house steps. He wants to be constantly with someone so much so that we bent the 'no dogs on the couch' rule, but he still jumps down and bangs around till we lead him back to the couch. For awhile big dog wouldn't eat from hubby's hand he wanted me to feed him his kibble. Dh came up with squirting water into his mouth using a straw. We could tell his mouth was dry but he could not drink. The straw worked wonderfully. Little dog is having a cow! He was at a total loss with out his buddy earlier and now he still cant be with him but he can see him getting all this love. Little dog is so jealous he just cant stand to see big dog on the couch. My house is crazy but it is always an adventure.
The new vet makes 3 different vets we use. One is far and expensive but the people are wonderful. They really care about animals. When our sweet kitty was injured we took her there. They did the whole exam with her in her crate (opens on 3 sides) I've never had a vet do that they always remove the cat. We use the wonderful vet for concerns, and emergencies. The other vet is right down the street but the doctor is a jerk. We use them only for routine procedures. I would really love it if the new vet was wonderful and inexpensive! That way we could consolidate to one vet! So far we've had a good experience. They seemed nice but I did not get to meet the doctor. They clipped his nails, and sent him home in a rope leash so we did not have to bug him to get his collar on.
I was just a small girl when my family's cocker spaniel was neutered (he passed away a few years ago at 16) and I'm used to getting cats fixed. But big dog seems to be having a tough time. His big plastic collar is always banging into things and getting stuck which freaks him out. When we take him outside he runs to the edge of the property towards the road, and when we turn him around he runs back to the house steps. He wants to be constantly with someone so much so that we bent the 'no dogs on the couch' rule, but he still jumps down and bangs around till we lead him back to the couch. For awhile big dog wouldn't eat from hubby's hand he wanted me to feed him his kibble. Dh came up with squirting water into his mouth using a straw. We could tell his mouth was dry but he could not drink. The straw worked wonderfully. Little dog is having a cow! He was at a total loss with out his buddy earlier and now he still cant be with him but he can see him getting all this love. Little dog is so jealous he just cant stand to see big dog on the couch. My house is crazy but it is always an adventure.
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
Frugal play
Animals are not frugal. Properly cared for they require good food, shots, flea meds,surgery and toys. I have never added up our animal cost as we don't want to know. They provide us with joy and that's good enough. There are a few ways to keep costs down. I'm going to start with toys.
A few minutes ago my 2 dogs were joyfully sliding across our floor chasing after a toy. What was the toy? A Kong ball? A tennis ball? A stuffed animal? Nope. An empty, rinsed plastic milk jug. Their very favorite indoor toy. That's right theres nothing my dogs like to play with indoors better then a milk jug. Big dog grabs it by the handle and flips it into the air while he prances around, teasing little dog. If it should fall it glides easily across the hard floor. Outdoors they love, LOVE sticks. When we take them out to play and they will no longer chase their soccer ball, volley ball, or tennis balls they will run for a stick! lol my pampered pooches love the simple things. That's not to say that they don't like stuffed things that squeak, they do. But they could care less about it being a $10 petco animal or scrap fabric that i stuffed and added a squeaker. (i save squeakers from animal they tear up, and petsmart sells a package for $2)
Dh and I joke that the more expensive the item is the less likely the cats are to like it, when purchased for them. But an expensive coat carelessly left on a couch is wonderful to lay on. :) My cats favorite toy is a real fishing pole, with a rubber ball and scrap of fabric tied to the end. They love it! I don't know how much it cost to put together my dad did it for us, but i bet you could find good deals on fishing poles at garage sales. The black demon loves twist ties. The orange menace loves hair ties but that isn't frugal as every few months I have to replace the ones he hid! The cats love feathers on sticks usually $3-$5 at a petstore. Unfortunately so do the dogs, and they shred rather then play. I'm planning on taking the left over plastic stick and attaching feathers to it with floral tape. We'll see how that goes. I have feathers left from another project that i will try it out with but i would like some bigger ones if its successful. Like i mentioned earlier we are building a massive (over 5ft) cat scratcher and i will try to post photos of it when completed. We have some carpet but i don't think it will be enough even though i plan on wrapping part of the posts with sisal rope. If i need more fabric i will look at a remnant store down the street from us.
Rabbits are big chewers. Our bun has chewed through and on countless cords even though we try very hard to rabbit proof his room. He's sneaky! He enjoys chewing baskets till they are nothing but twigs. Just make sure its not a coated basket. I pick them up from the thrift store spray with vinegar and leave in the sun to sanitize. He chews cardboard boxes. Oatmeal tubes make great chewable tunnels. Black and white newspaper in a big box is fun to shred and dig in. Pine cones are good to chew as well. Some rabbits like toys, mine isn't a fan. but i know several people who buy baby rattles at the dollar store for the rabbit to toss.
My best recommendation is to know whats safe and what isn't and let the animals experiment under supervision. Last night my husband gave a hunk of leftover wood to the dogs. They chewed it into little chunks in no time! We took it away because small chunks can be swallowed and cause problems. (something you need to watch with any chew) I used to let the cats play with string in till they started eat ting it. Now i pick up every piece I find. But if we didn't experiment we wouldn't know how much fun a used milk jug is!
A few minutes ago my 2 dogs were joyfully sliding across our floor chasing after a toy. What was the toy? A Kong ball? A tennis ball? A stuffed animal? Nope. An empty, rinsed plastic milk jug. Their very favorite indoor toy. That's right theres nothing my dogs like to play with indoors better then a milk jug. Big dog grabs it by the handle and flips it into the air while he prances around, teasing little dog. If it should fall it glides easily across the hard floor. Outdoors they love, LOVE sticks. When we take them out to play and they will no longer chase their soccer ball, volley ball, or tennis balls they will run for a stick! lol my pampered pooches love the simple things. That's not to say that they don't like stuffed things that squeak, they do. But they could care less about it being a $10 petco animal or scrap fabric that i stuffed and added a squeaker. (i save squeakers from animal they tear up, and petsmart sells a package for $2)
Dh and I joke that the more expensive the item is the less likely the cats are to like it, when purchased for them. But an expensive coat carelessly left on a couch is wonderful to lay on. :) My cats favorite toy is a real fishing pole, with a rubber ball and scrap of fabric tied to the end. They love it! I don't know how much it cost to put together my dad did it for us, but i bet you could find good deals on fishing poles at garage sales. The black demon loves twist ties. The orange menace loves hair ties but that isn't frugal as every few months I have to replace the ones he hid! The cats love feathers on sticks usually $3-$5 at a petstore. Unfortunately so do the dogs, and they shred rather then play. I'm planning on taking the left over plastic stick and attaching feathers to it with floral tape. We'll see how that goes. I have feathers left from another project that i will try it out with but i would like some bigger ones if its successful. Like i mentioned earlier we are building a massive (over 5ft) cat scratcher and i will try to post photos of it when completed. We have some carpet but i don't think it will be enough even though i plan on wrapping part of the posts with sisal rope. If i need more fabric i will look at a remnant store down the street from us.
Rabbits are big chewers. Our bun has chewed through and on countless cords even though we try very hard to rabbit proof his room. He's sneaky! He enjoys chewing baskets till they are nothing but twigs. Just make sure its not a coated basket. I pick them up from the thrift store spray with vinegar and leave in the sun to sanitize. He chews cardboard boxes. Oatmeal tubes make great chewable tunnels. Black and white newspaper in a big box is fun to shred and dig in. Pine cones are good to chew as well. Some rabbits like toys, mine isn't a fan. but i know several people who buy baby rattles at the dollar store for the rabbit to toss.
My best recommendation is to know whats safe and what isn't and let the animals experiment under supervision. Last night my husband gave a hunk of leftover wood to the dogs. They chewed it into little chunks in no time! We took it away because small chunks can be swallowed and cause problems. (something you need to watch with any chew) I used to let the cats play with string in till they started eat ting it. Now i pick up every piece I find. But if we didn't experiment we wouldn't know how much fun a used milk jug is!
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