50 Ways to Save on Pet Expenses

Ask any pet owner and they’ll tell you the love and companionship of a pet is priceless...unfortunately, caring for them is quite expensive.

If you are looking to bring a new animal companion into your life or already have a few furry friends, here are 50 ways to keep both them and your wallet happy.

Finding Your New Friend

1) Avoid pet stores like the plague, their pets are overpriced and come from disreputable sources.

2) Adopt from a shelter or rescue, you can even find specific breeds for adoption. Check out Petfinder.com for pets near you.

3) Adopt an adult cat or dog. Puppies and kittens require a series of vaccinations, spaying or neutering and housebreaking.

4) If you insist on a purebred puppy or kitten, only buy from a reputable breeder. Reputable breeders are ones who are active in the dog or cat community, do health testing on their breeding stock and offspring, do not advertise in the newspaper or craigslist, offer lifetime support and have a welcome home policy if you cannot keep your pet.

5) In general, smaller is cheaper. The price for medications and veterinary care often depends on your pet’s size. A smaller dog eats less, costs less to board etc.

6) Fish require more money and time than you might imagine. The start up costs are high and you have to pay close attention to your fishes environment or they will perish.

Around the Home

7) Check craigslist for used dog crates, unwanted kitty condos, aquariums or bird cages.

8) Protect your house, destructive dogs need to be crated when you’re not home. This will save damage to your stuff and keep Fido from needing emergency surgery after eating the couch.

9) Protect your dog or cat, just as you would baby proof your home look for in home dangers to your pet like cleaners and poisons. Certain houseplants are poisonous too, check out the SPCA’s list of toxic and non toxic plants. Trust me, my grandmother STILL has my poinsettia's from my wedding because my furry friends will die if they eat them.

10) Fence your yard, this will keep Fido safe and not out running in the street.

11) Buy a crate sized for when your puppy reaches adulthood, use a box or divider to make it smaller for housebreaking.

12) Keep your kitty indoors, outdoor cats are more likely to get injured or sick and require additional vaccinations. Again, my furry friends LOVE to 'go at it' with other animals that enter the yard...VERY costly.

13) Make your own dog or cat bed, there are patterns online to guide you. Don't want to make your own? I have found some amazing deals on pet beds at Menards.

14) Dog beds are nice but your pooch will be just as happy with an old towel or blanket. Old pillows are also good.

Toys and Supplies

15) Go to a tennis court and collect abandoned tennis balls. This is Diesel's FAVORITE toys.

16) Tie a knot in an old sock. One of my dogs has a huge sock fetish. Be careful though, my friend Sarah's dog (Boxer) swallowed the sock whole!

17) Buy stuffed animals from the dollar store or thrift store, make sure there are no plastic eyes or other pieces that could be chewed off and swallowed. And keep an eye out on ANY toys you buy and at the first sign of 'breaking down', throw it away.

18) Make a fleece tug toy - buy fleece fabric remnants and cut into strips. Using 3 strips knot one end together, braid and then knot the other end.

19) Strips of fabric and empty water bottles make great toys.

20) Rolled up bits of newspaper and aluminum foil will keep kitty entertained.

21) Dog.com has good prices on toys. Wait for one of their free shipping offers and load up, dole out new toys over the year. They also have inexpensive pet tags.

22) Don’t spend a lot on stuff puppies and kittens will outgrow like collars, harnesses or clothes. I found my cutest, cheapest, and best quality collars and leashes at the flea market.

23) Use dishes you have on hand for food and water bowls. No need for overpriced bowls from the pet store. Ceramic or stoneware are best, they are durable and don’t cause irritation like some plastic bowls.

24) Buy kitty litter in bulk, it doesn’t go bad.

25) Get a scratching post for your kitty to save your furniture, you can make your own with some wood and carpet or rope.

26) Petedge online has great prices on pet supplies. They mainly sell wholesale so orders less than $60 are hit with a $7 fee, wait till you need a bunch of items or band together with some friends.

Food and Treats

27) Buy food in bulk, store in an airtight container.

28) Costco’s Kirkland pet food is both good quality and affordable. Too bad I don't have a Costco nearby :(

29) Don’t buy cheap kibble to save money, it has poor nutritional value and is loaded with fillers. Read the label, dogs and cats have a limited ability to digest grains, real meat should be the primary ingredient. Costco's dog food has chicken and chicken meal as the first two ingredients, that's a good sign.

30) Dry kibble is cheaper than canned wet food.

31) Grow your own catnip. Tie a little in the end of an old sock for a kitty toy.

32) Bake your own dog biscuits, you can find recipes online.

33) Don’t overfeed your pet, cats and dogs will quickly become obese. Obesity leads to expensive health problems later.

Pet Care

34) Spay or neuter your pet, birthing babies is expensive and it will reduce the risk for certain cancer like mammary tumors.

35) Ask your local animal shelter about low cost spay and neuter options. They normally get the heads up on 'free days' to get your animal spayed or neutered.

36) Look for low cost vaccination clinics. Often the shelter or pet supply stores like Petsmart and Petco will sponsor these clinics.

37) Check out the prices online for medications, flea preventative and heartworm protection. Compare to your vets prices. My favorite is petmeds.com.

38) Don’t skip vaccinating to save money, parvo in particular is very deadly to puppies. Saving a sick puppy or kitten can cost thousands.

39) Don’t skip heartworm preventative. Heart worms are deadly and expensive to treat.

40) Get your pet its annual checkup. Diseases or problems caught early will be cheaper to treat.

41) Ask your vet about any discounts they can offer, they are often willing to work with you if money is tight or may have a special plan for routine care.

42) Be nice to your vet, good customers will receive better care and better discounts. I’ve been given many items for free because we have a good relationship with our vet. Or it might be the loads of money we’ve dropped there already!

43) Look for a vet school in your area, they often have cheaper services since they are vets in training. They may also be able to provide more specialized services than your local vet.

44) Learn pet first aid so you don’t have to run to the vet for minor injuries. The Red Cross offers a Pet First Aid course (which I’ve taken).

45) If you have multiple pets try buying medications or flea treatments meant for a larger sized animal and break it up. For example a heartworm pill meant for a 60 pound dog could be broken in half for 2, 30 pound dogs.

46) Do your own bathing and grooming. Buy a hand held sprayer for your shower. You can buy clippers to do an all-around trim. Or get a pet that needs minimal grooming!

47) Do your own nail trims. I’ve started using the Pedi-Paw, which I found at CVS.

48) Look into health insurance for your pet, get it while your pet is young before medical issues appear. This is my BIGGEST regret. Had I purchased this when my little lemon was young, I could be a few thousand dollars richer.

49) Try a petsitter or dog walker while you are away, it’s cheaper than boarding. Unless of course your furry friend decides to tear up their couch and chairs and you have to re-purchase new furniture for your petsitter.

50) Brush your pet’s teeth regularly to avoid expensive dental cleanings later. I find late at night to be the best time to get in and scrub the doggies teeth.