7 Money-Saving Tips That Pet Owners Should Know
Owning or adopting a pet comes with a wide range of responsibilities. Grooming it and making sure it’s well-fed can get costly, especially if your pet belongs to a breed or species that require extra care and attention. Without investing in a better living space and providing them with the right type of food, your pet could fall ill and you will have to shoulder the burden of getting it treated.
When it comes to your pet, you will have to go over and beyond in making sure it gets the best care. For this, you won’t have to spend too much. Providing the needs of your pet doesn’t have to be expensive. You just need to follow a few essential ways to save money in giving your pet the care it needs. Here are a few of the best money-saving tips you will need to remember as a pet owner on a budget!
1. Make Chew Toys Yourself
If you have a dog or cat that’s fond of chewing, giving them a chew toy is a great way to relieve stress and anxiety. It also addresses destructive chewing and teething, especially in young pups. However, chew toys get damaged easily and you will have to replace them every now and then. Instead of buying new toys, you can save some money by making DIY chew toys.
You can start by cutting up old rags and shirts into strips and tying them into a rope. Moreover, you can choose to tie a ball on one end of the rope. This should keep your dog occupied if they are in the habit of chewing furniture legs. For cats, you can simply reuse old boxes into makeshift playgrounds. If you have hamsters, you can use cardboard tissue paper tubes and make mazes and obstacles. With a little creativity, you can turn any household item into toys that will give your pets endless fun.
2. Visit the Vet Regularly
Even if you have a busy schedule, visiting the veterinarian is critical in making sure your pet is protected from viruses and underlying medical conditions. If left undetected, certain diseases can cause disability and conditions that are too expensive to treat. A trip to the vet helps ensure that your pet is in good health. It’s also critical in detecting signs and symptoms of fatal diseases earlier on.
A vet appointment seems like the least of your priorities, but if you want to save money from costly treatment and surgeries, you might as well commit to your pet’s schedule of checkups and vaccinations. On top of that, you also get valuable advice on how to keep your pet’s health in check. That way, your pet will be less likely to contract diseases and develop conditions that require expensive care.
3. Get Pet Insurance
Diseases aren’t the only things you should be worried about as a pet owner. You also have to secure your pet from unexpected situations such as injuries from accidents that can happen at home or while you’re on vacation. These can also cost a lot if you choose to pay out of pocket, but you can cut your expenses through pet insurance.
With the right pet insurance policy, you will be able to save a certain amount of money to cover the treatment, medication, diagnosis, and recovery of your pet. Monthly premiums won’t cost more than $100 and you will get a reimbursement of up to 80% minus your deductibles. In addition, you also get to choose a licensed veterinarian and pick a care plan that fits your pet.
With pet insurance, you won’t have to withdraw funds from your savings or emergency accounts. You just have to pick the right provider. For that, check out this fun video about the country’s leading pet insurance provider.
4. Avoid Overfeeding
Providing the right amount of nutrition is crucial to making sure your pet is healthy. However, this doesn’t mean feeding them constantly and cursing them to become overweight. Apart from the buildup of fat that can cause cardiovascular complications, certain animals can also suffer from diabetes, urinary diseases, and an increased risk of cancer.
Worse, overfeeding can also lead to obesity which will affect your pet’s mobility and stamina. This could prevent your pet from getting the best benefits from exercise. It’s best that you follow your vet’s advice and give your pet the right serving each day.
This can help with regulating their eating habits and ensuring that they get the right amount of nutrition. More importantly, you can also save money from buying pet food if you stick to your pet’s dietary needs and give your pet the right portions.
5. Pick the Right Pet Food
It’s not enough to give your pets the right amount of food each day. It also matters a lot to know the type of food you are serving them. Pet owners would often think that any brand of pet food is right for their animal companions.
However, not all brands can cover a pet’s dietary needs and they may contain a number of ingredients that can cause digestive problems and an array of health conditions. If you are out shopping for dog food, don’t just look at the price.
Thinking that a product is good enough because it’s the cheapest one on the shelf won’t do you good. You need to check the product’s formulation to make sure it doesn’t contain synthetic ingredients. To be safe, ask your vet for recommendations, especially if you are planning to save money by serving homemade food to your pet.
6. Make the Most of Special Promos & Freebies
If you are shopping for pet products, you could save more by using coupons and discount vouchers as well as joining special promos. Signing up for membership programs at Petco, Petsmart, or other brands allows you to score exclusive offers. Other than that, you also get notified of special sales and freebies.
Apart from brand memberships, consider checking your mail. If you are lucky, you could find cutout vouchers and promo codes that can help you save big on your next grocery run. To save even more money, consider buying in bulk. This would mean paying more, bulk orders often come at big discounts.
7. Do the Grooming Yourself
While you can always visit a groomer, it shouldn’t be difficult to shampoo your pet and keep their coat fresh. You can easily do this to a dog or cat, but you may have to be patient when it comes to keeping it under control while you are grooming them.
There are numerous tutorials you can check out that can help you clean and freshen up different animals, so take the time to learn so you won’t have to visit a parlor for your pet grooming needs.
You may need to buy a few tools, but the cost won’t compare to the long-term savings you will be enjoying.
It’s important to invest time and money in your pet, but there are ways to help you make the most of your budget. What matters is that you provide your pet with quality care regardless of the cost.
