Before You Decide to Adopt A Pet

Midnight (age 19 cat) and Bandit (age 11 dog)

Before you decide to get your little girl or boy a pet please consider how long they live.

Getting a pet is a life long commitment and pets can live a long time.

Yes puppies, kittens and other animals are adorable when they are babies, but what about when they are 7 years old or 20 years old. Yep, some pets live that long and longer.

And just like people, they can develop medical problems such as heart problems, arthritis, cancer, kidney disease, and more.

What you need to think about is how your life my look in 10 or 20 or even 50+ years from now.  Are you planning a move? Going to college? If so, can you take pet with you on campus or into a rental property?  If you can't take the pet with you -- what will you do? 

Do you go on vacation often? Who will feed and take care of the animal while you are away? Can you afford to keep their shots up to date? What if a medical emergency happens to you or your pet?  These are things you really should think about PRIOR to getting the pet.

Cats live on average around 15 years but can live as long as 30 years.

Dogs' life expectancy is 10 to 15 years. That varies between the breed of dogs Click here to see a list.

Birds can live upwards of 80 years. Click here for specific birds and their normal life expectancy.

Gerbil - depending on the type you choose they can live up to 8 years.

Hamsters live around 3 years.

Fish can live up to 30 years. The longest living fresh water fish are goldfish. Consider that the next time your child wants to win a fish at the carnival. Other live much shorter, for example, beta fish live 3 to 5 years and neon tetras live around 10 years. (Our carnival fish lived 3 years).

Bunnies can live 8 to 12 years old if kept inside and are spayed or neutered.

Please consider all the facts before adopting an animal because their life depends on it and lastly Adopt Don't Shop.

Save Money on Pet Costs

We took our little kitten, Noel, to the ASPCA yesterday to get spayed. We originally planned on getting that done at our local veterinarian, but they wanted from $273.70 to $662.96 depending on what options you selected (laser vs. scalpel, microchip implantation, pre-surgical bloodwork, etc.). We really couldn't afford that right now, so we searched for a more affordable option.

Our local ASCPC offers the basic services for $55 for spaying a girl cat. I can't imagine that the procedure itself is all that different from place to place. Both are completed by a certified veterinarian and both include anesthesia so the cat is asleep during the procedure.  I understand there is probably a certain level of care given after the procedure, but one place is a for profit business and another is non-profit.

When it comes down to it, you need to research the facility, read the reviews and way the pros and cons of each location for yourself. Our local ASPCA is clean, has caring, knowledgeable staff and are very affordable. That may not be the case in your area, so do your research ahead of time.
 
One way you can cut costs while still maintaining your pet's health is by finding facilities that offer
low cost vaccines, spay and neuter, and grooming.

Vaccinations
There are tons of organizations available for low cost vaccinations. Simply search for "low cost vaccinations for pets in X" substituting your city or state for X. Here are some nationwide programs that connect you with local organizations. Many even offer services like deworming, flea and tick medications, and other common medical issues for cats and dogs.

LuvMyPet.com/
Petco.com


Spay/Neuter
I'm very much in favor of getting your pet spayed or neutered. There are really so many kittens, puppies and full grown pets that need adopting already. Beside all the local veterinarians in your area also consider the organizations below to find a low-cost program to have your pet spayed or neutered.
HumaneSociety.org  - They also will connect you with shelters, organizations, and vets that offer low cost spay and neuter programs.

SpayUSA.org/ - Another nationwide network that connects pet owners to low cost spay/neuter programs.

Grooming
Almost all major department stores (Walmart, Target, etc.) sell brushes, clippers for trimming fur, and nail clippers, so you can keep your pet's coat and nails looking great. Start off small with brushing once a week, so your pet can get used to you doing it. Try clipping their nails while they are sleeping. Many are afraid of cutting the nails down to the quick, but I just clip a tiny, tiny bit off so they aren't sharp.

Here are more resources to help you groom your pet from home.
http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/cat-care/groom-your-cat
http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/dog-care/groom-your-dog
YouTube offers tons of videos on grooming specific breeds of dogs.

Please share your tips/ideas for saving on pet costs.

2013 A Year in Review

This year has been a pretty good year for my blog and my family. Overall I'm happy with how it turned out.  My blog has seen an increase in traffic and I'm praying this coming year will continue on the same track.

Here are a few highlights of our year. Enjoy and be safe if you go out to celebrate New Year's Eve tonight.

1. Gizmo
In March, we adopted a kitten, named Gizmo. He was a little ball of energy. Very cute, but gave us many heart attacks with all the stunts he performs. He likes to climb up on top of the fridge and jump off. He also likes to use our railings as a tightrope. He has started to calm down a bit since he was neutered this past month. Thank goodness!

2. Noel
Just this past month we took in a stray that we named Noel. We didn't plan on getting another animal, but she is so tiny and skittish of everything.  Our house is active with 3 kids, 2 medium sized dogs and now 3 cats. She is starting to find her spot in the clan. She loves cuddling with Gizmo and wakes me up every night around 2 a.m.

3. Lots of Canning
This past summer I did lots of canning. Mostly pickles and tomatoes. We are still enjoying the tomatoes, but unfortunately the pickles didn't last as long as we'd like. They were really good and went very fast.

4. Good Health
Not to jinx us, but this has been a pretty good year for us - health wise.  Only 2 trips to the hospital for our family - just cuts and bruises - nothing too serious. Thanks God!

5. Weight Watchers Trial
I was blessed to receive a free trial of Weight Watchers 360 this past summer. That was the first perk I've received from having this blog. I haven't really stuck to the plan, but have decided to pay to continue the program because I really, really do want to lose weight. Hubby and I have plans to restart on January 1st.

6. Vehicle Free for 6 months
While some people might think this is a negative I really did enjoy not having a vehicle for about 6 months. I wasn't tempted to go shopping. I didn't eat as much fast food.  I could actually get stuff done around the house without feeling tempted to visit with friends, shop or just get out of the house.  Not to mention paying out a lot less gasoline, since hubby was driving my fuel efficient van instead of his gas guzzler.

7.  Avon, North Carolina Family Vacation
We spent an entire week with hubby's family in Avon, North Carolina. We were a block from the beach and had a blast collecting seashells, fishing and sight seeing.

This was our year, how was yours?

Meet Little Miss Noel

Please welcome the newest member to our family. Little Miss Noel.

As I mentioned last Wednesday, I'm a sucker for strays.  We never planned to get another pet. We already have 2 medium/large dogs (12 yrs and 9 yrs), and 2 cats (16 yrs and 11 mths). Plus the five of us makes a really full house.

However, this little girl was found out in the snow last week. She came up to my hubby one night, meowing like crazy. He tried to bring her in that first night, but our kids ran to see her and she slipped out the door that was still open a tiny bit.

So we watched out for her a couple days. Feeding her and trying to get her to trust us. There was another cat with her that we thought was her mama.  On Thursday, the weather was supposed to be 15 degrees overnight, so decided they needed to come inside.

I picked up the little one and stuck her in a cat carrier we have and took her inside.  I placed her in a room and we slowly all came and met her while she was in the crate.  That night we kept her in the crate but we put her in our bedroom so she wasn't alone. We didn't want her to roam around the house and interacting with our other pets until we had her checked out by a vet.

We tried to catch the mama cat, to no avail. We managed to get her to come in by bribing her with milk, but she flipped out and just wanted out. We didn't want her running around wild in the house and possibly attacking any of the cats or dogs, so we let her out.  We placed a box with a heated pet blanket outside along with food and water in a sheltered area, so she was out of the elements as much as possible.

The next morning (Friday), I bribed her back in with milk. Then I threw a blanket over her and placed her in the cat carrier. I then took her to Animal Control to be adopted out - she was too wild for us. Turns out she was a previous catch, spay and release, so the kitten wasn't her's. It must have just been her companion. That made me feel a little less guilty by separating them.

I know that they are both going to be warm, fed and cared for. I know that they both deserve a better life than struggling to find a warm place to stay, food to eat and avoiding animals and people that may hurt them.

This little girl has been to the vet, got her first shots, received some deworming meds and will be fixed when she is old enough. She is in really good health and everyone there loved her. She is so cuddly, and will be loved and adored for the rest of her life.

As you can see from the pictures above, she enjoys being near people. She sleeps on anyone and everyone. She is still a little skittish, but is getting better every day.

We named her Noel because we found her around Christmas time. It also sounded like a pretty "girl" name, since all our other pets are boys.

As you can see from the photos below, she looks almost identical to one of our other cats. Both are tuxedo cats and adorable.

I'm sure you will see more of her in the future.

Week in Pictures - April 3, 2013

This week was a bit crazy because of Easter and my kids having off for Spring Break.

For Easter we needed to visit both my parents and the hubby's family since they both live close by.

So...we visited my parents had an egg hunt before it really poured down rain and then some really yummy turkey and all the fixing.  After a couple hours there we visited hubby's family and had dessert while the kids played and guys watched basketball. We saw Louisville vs. Duke game where the player broke his leg.  Really Gross!!!

After a crazy day running around on Easter I took the kids to a playground as one last activity before school the next day. Plus it felt like it was 65-70 degrees. Beautiful!

Plus here's a little update on our latest addition, Gizmo. He's fitting in better. He's about 10 or 11 weeks old and is attacking everything. This is totally funny.

He even tries to attack our dogs who then run to me, as if to say please get this little terror away from me!!!

 

Our Little Bundle of Joy

We have a new addition to our family. He arrived this weekend and boy is he a handful!

Meet Gizmo

My cousin's cat had a litter of kittens and we were able to choose one. He's just over 8 weeks old and adorable.

This little guy is a bundle of energy. Awake for 2 hours and then sleep for 20 minutes. That seems to be his routine. It is almost like having another human baby in the house.  He's up at night, sleeps during the day, and the whole house needs baby-proofing.

He's very friendly, not afraid of our dogs (mixed breed rescues) and really wants to play with my "Little Romeo" who's a 15 year old male cat. Unfortunately, it will take a little while for my older cat to warm up to a young, hyper kitten.

Gizmo has already taken to my oldest daughter (13 year old). She's more calm and patient. My youngest kid (8 year old) on the other hand is a little fearful. Gizmo darts around and has some sharp little claws.

So keep an eye out for him in future blog post photos. Not to mention funny stories. I'm sure there will be plenty.

Saving Money When You Have Pets

I'm not sure I mentioned this before but my family has 2 dogs, 1 cat and 1 fish. Needless to say, we have a lot of fur around the house.

Grooming
One way I save money on pet expenses is to do all the grooming myself. I clip nails, trim fur and brush them religiously...okay maybe not religiously but often. 

A while back I invested in a small pet grooming kit from my local Wal-Mart for about $25.  It's really pretty simple to do. Plus there are videos on YouTube showing you how to do just about anything you would need to do. Then it's just a matter of practicing.

My dogs and cat have gotten used to me brushing them and even the sound of the razor. Now they actually enjoy being brushed because they get my undivided attention for a couple minutes.

At the Vets
Another way I save is by taking them to a good vet and get routine checkups. Just like humans, if we take care of ourselves, normally the doctors can catch anything out of the ordinary pretty quickly.  It could make the difference between changing the pet's diet and exercise routine to expensive medications or even surgery.

Be sure to shop around for a vet you and your pet like and that offers reasonable rates. Don't let them talk you into anything that isn't needed such as a certain type of pet food - they usually earn a commission on the products they promote. You can get the same thing at a local pet store if you pet really needs it.

Food
I also save on their food. I serve them the recommended amount for their weight and limit the number of treats. Again, just like us animals can become overweight, so limit the amount of snacks/treats they receive.

In addition, I buy extra and stock up whenever I find a good deal. I even try to combine it with a coupon if possible.

Having pets shouldn't mean you need to spend a fortune. Give them love, food, shelter and treat them like one of the family.