Hiya bargainers,
I a week or so we'll have lovely female kitten at our house and we cannot wait! I just need your awesome bargain skills and knowledge to suggest any good retail stores or online shops where you get your pet supplies from.
I wouldn't mind buying the food and litter and bulk but I haven't yet found such a store. Your help is greatly appreciated. Thanks!
Thanks for that, it really helped :-)
darshil, these are several things which you probably have regular needs for your cat:
food & toiletry
I find that most premium and off-the-shelf food can be bought for much cheaper from pets and gardens stores. In WA, we have city farmers or betta pets and gardens. I'm guessing there should be a similar store in Sydney? They normally sell pet food in bulks and you tend to get the brands you see in vets/supermarkets selling at much cheaper prices at these places.
The same goes for litter. They normally sell big bags (e.g. 15-20 kg bags) of litter which would probably last you months if you only have 1 kitty. But I would suggest that you sample them in smaller bags first to see which brand/type suits your kitty, since there are different types of cat litters out there.
flea/worming
Always get them online as they're normally much cheaper than most pet stores or vets. However be sure to check their expiry dates before you get them.
I normally get my supplies from eBay, but do checkout some online stores, such as this as they can be cheaper sometimes when there is a promotion.
toys
Your $2 shops should have loads of toys stocked up for your kitty. But I find the best toy for a cat is a laser pointer. But make sure the laser pointer is not handled by paws.
grooming
Is your kitten a long hair or short hair breed? If it's a long hair breed, you may want to invest in good grooming kits. A tooth comb and deshedder is a must if it's going to be a long-haired cat. Otherwise, just a normal brush would do the trick (assuming it's not a hairless breed).
medical/vaccination
Start by hunting around for the best prices when sending your kitty for its first vaccination / medical check. For the same type of vaccine, vaccination + standard checkup can vary anywhere from $50-$100 here in WA. I'm guessing it should be the same in Sydney. So it probably pays to call around.
And yes, post up a pic when you get your kitty. :)
First of all thank for answering in detail and thoroughness Mr/Ms. Mod :-)
I've heard a lot about city farmers and the closest I have come to it was an online store: http://www.vetshopaustralia.com.au/ I'll keep looking.
Thanks for that flea/worming ailments advice. Didn't think of that!
And it's going to be a nice shorthair month old kitten Pauly but still do intend to brush it at least once a day. The place I'm adopting it from is already vaccinating them/worming them and I shall ask them how much they charge for the next one (whenever they say it's due).
Thanks mate I really appreciate it!
PS: Photos should be up Friday when I adopt her :-)
I've heard a lot about city farmers and the closest I have come to it was an online store: http://www.vetshopaustralia.com.au/ I'll keep looking.
Just did a quick google search, and this store seems to be identical to our city farmers here. Their prices seem to be around the same as our pets and garden stores here.
Thanks mate I really appreciate it!
You're welcome. :)
Seems like the mods love pussy :)
Hahah ;-)
Your $2 shops should have loads of toys stocked up for your kitty. But I find the best toy for a cat is a laser pointer. But make sure the laser pointer is not handled by paws.
What, I was not supposed to give the kitten the pointer!? Ow, argh, stupid cat, stop pointing that laser at me, I can't see now.
:)
PS: Nice to see there is a town called Kitten in NSW. :)
Haha, I must firstly say I am sorry for misleading you to believe I live in a town called Kitten in NSW. That would so great but sadly I meant it was for a kitten in NSW.
I laughed at this though (not at you) so thanks for making me laugh mate!
are the cats gonna be indoor cats or outdoor?
Mostly indoor. I have plans for training it with a leash/harness so I can take it for walks in my backyard and possibly the street.
Best thing you can do is make sure it is desexed.
The Vet I'm getting her from is going to desex her when she's 6 months old (1 month from now)
Can't speak for NSW specifically but we found litter (1 specific one we use) is cheapest between the best sale at Coles and Costco's everyday price. As for general cat food, hard to beat the sales at the supermarket. Our cats, who tend to have more expensive meals than me, get their food from a pet supply place in Werribee (VIC) as supermarkets don't supply their particular food. Certainty cheaper than buying from the vet.
Post up the picture when you get it. ;)