Pet Starter Kits

icklemiss21

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Hi all

With the move to the new shelter we have space for a store
(just a few weeks left until life slows down when we are in there)

We want to sell pet starter kits for people so they don't need to go home and come back to pick up their new pet.

If you were buying one what would you want in it and how much would you be prepared to pay.

We were thinking a 'basics' kit - litterpan, small bag of litter, two food dishes and water dish and a toy and a more expensive 'starter' kit with a blanky, extra toys etc but not sure exactly what should go in either.

We won't be including any food or treats as so many people use different foods, we don't want to check dates all the time if they don't sell and we are sponsored by a food company and give 'free' bags of their food (they give the shelter a $5 donation for the food and get a $5 coupon to use against a future purchase of the food).

We also give an envelope with coupon from various stores in the area but would like to keep those separate for those not buying the kits.
 

catkiki

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Are you going to include a scoop for the litterpan? I think that is a good idea for new pet owners... maybe a little flyer on basic catcare and what to expect.
 

whiteforest

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In a more pricey kit I would love to see nail clippers and/or soft paws because too many people plan to take their new cat to be declawed. At least that's the way it was when I was working at a shelter. If alternate methods of "claw control" were presented immediately, maybe they would think about cutting the nails or soft paws first.

Coupons for different things might be nice, too. Ask local feed stores if they can offer any coupons. I know that we were on a shelter plan with Feline Pine and they had 4lb bags of litter that we could give away with adoptions along with a coupon for litter.
 

strange_wings

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Will there be starter kits for dogs too, or was the shelter cat only? I would think care and training books would be great -preferably paper back ones so they're not as expensive.
Maybe add a print out with a list of recommended vets + the vet addresses and hours they're open (and emergency numbers). And a list of common household hazards like cleaners and plants, new pet owners may not know these dangers yet.

Extras in the store that would probably sell well would be pet costumes and beds. What about adding matching owner and pet shirts or bandannas with the shelter name on it?
 

epona

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A pet carrier would be a serious consideration imo... at least 1 starter pack could include a carrier, it's the thing that people are most likely to need immediately other than food and litter...
 
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icklemiss21

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We will eb selling pet carriers, but different kinds so we didn't want to include it in the packs. We also allow people to borrow one of ours for a deposit.

A litter scoop is a great idea :doh:

Our adoption package has all the coupons and booklets on what to expect, introductions etc as well as a 'new pet' guide from our food sponsor. That includes all the vets, the city's animal bylaws and poisonous plants and foods.

We are only just getting into adopting dogs, we have had a few come through the shelter, maybe 10-20 a year but always boarded them with a kennel and they were adopted out from there, so a lot more thought is going into that one. We were thinking the basics would be food bowls, toy, and a collar leash.

Soft claws are expensive and we enourage people to train their cats so I don't think we will be putting them in the packs although we did talk about selling them as well as various nailclippers and brushes including furminators. We currently do show them how to clip their claws before they leave with the cat.
 
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