A.k.a. how to save some money when talking about feline stuff.

Reading on internet makes it look like you have to set up a university trust fund for a cat too, with toys, scratch posts and beds. I’m not an expert, it’s only a month since Clothilde got here, but I’ve made up my mind a little!

Of course if you want a scratching post that looks like a Disney castle or a Valentino bed you’re reading the wrong post but, just my opinion, a scratching post is (if your cat decides to use it) something that’s going to be destroyed and the bed is (if your cat decides not to destroy it) something that probably will never be used.

Therefore there are only two possible destinies for cat stuff: destruction or uselessness. Why spend money on it then? (And it’s not little the amount of money we’re talking of, I’ve seen scratching posts going from 20 euros up and beds from 30 euros up…).
Let alone toys!
I’ve asked my catowner friends and the most common answer was “A cat will play with whatever they fancy: strings, hair scrunchies, slippers, bottle caps, tinfoil balls… ankles…”, so again, why waste money on it? (Ok, I’ll confess: I’ve splurged 80 cents on two face mice).

So here’s what I’ve done.

Home made bed:
– scraps of heavy duty fabric, I’ve used samples from upholstery catalogues
– scrap for filling in (I still had some since when we made my parent’s dog’s bed, any kind of stuffing will do)
– needle and thread
I’d say it’s pretty easy to understand, anyway: I’ve made two patchwork squares, joined them in some sort of pillowcase, stuffed it, and sewed it close. Tadaan! At first we fit it into one of the squares in the expedit, we thought she would love it (what cat doesn’t love nooks?) now it stays outside our bedroom door: we always found her sleeping on the stone that we use to stop the window door, so we gave her the pillow: WIN.

Home made scratching post (since I’ve put it in front of the entrance door she loves it and almost spares the couch, apparently cats file their nails on places where people and potentially other animals pass by, to mark their spot, and the entrace is perfec!):
– pieces of cardboard
– glued together with modge podge
– this tutorial
Ooooh yeah.

Various home made toys (well, let’s just say I had more fun than Clothilde will probably have, but who cares)
– cardboard boxes, scissors, tape
– decorative tape, wine cork, disposable chopstick, hot glue gun. Optional: feathers, ribbons, pieces of fabric (what you have lying around)
The box is really easy to make: draw a silhouette of a cat, ears pointing to the bottom of the box, once you like it trace it with a black marker and start cutting (start from the middle, divide the shape into slices then cut the “base” of the slice, be carevul!), then you open three flaps and tape them together so that they stay opened, bend the fourth flap inwards and tape it in place so that it makes some sorto of entrance for the cat, once it stands tall and the cat-shaped-hole stays on the front with its ears pointing upwards.

To make the “fake singbird” tie the decorative tape around the cork, across it twice. Double knots, real tight. Tie the other end to the chopstick, near the bit that holds the two chopsticks together so it doesn’t slip off. With the hot glue gun glue whatever you like to the flat sides of the cork.

Voilà. My feathers have been killed in a couple of weeks, may they Rest In Peace.

To answer my friend’s question: it’s not pricy to have a cat, Clo and me went to the vet yesterday (yes a bit late I know, but when I adopted her they told me “She’s done everything, we’ll give you her file” well she had done nothing, except surgery after being run over by a car).
Visit, vaccine, poop analysis, ears cleaned and claws slightly chopped: fourty euros. More than nice! In a month I have the second part of the vaccination and then it’s once a year. Quite easy.

Concerning litterbox and litter: I’ve found a closed litterbox with carbon filters for ten euros at Viridea, they have these kind of offers quite often, the litter is quite cheap and a 10 lt bag lasts me a month (though the one we’re using now is not good, it doesn’t clump, the previous one was carrefour discount, it was free from my aunt, her cat poops in the garden now…).

About food a 2kg bag lasted me a month, with a really really rough calculation (very approximative) we stated that with 50 cents a day Clothilde can eat a lot and well (by the way: we fill the bowl once a day and we wait untill she clears it up to fill it again).
Oh, right, the bowls were around 3 euros both, food and water, I think it’s tin.

Time for a refill!

I don’t think there’s anything else So, my friend, is it low cost enough?

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