These economic times KILLING our cat food budget!! HELP!!

I've been feeding our babies wet food for three years now.
Cubbie and Sophie have grown up knowing they get their wet food twice a day.....with free-fed premium dry food, which they snack on. (I know a lot of people are against free feeding, but these cats are amazing at only snacking when they get a little hungry and are all at healthy, toned weights)


Over the past two years, the wet food we purchase has almost TRIPLED in price per can. (and it isn't the premium stuff) I know to a lot of people it doesn't seem like a lot...but to us it really is. We've been married a year, just starting out and every penny counts.


I don't want to take away their wet food, because it's good for them and I'm afraid they will hate me for it...but my husband is pressing me to cut them off wet food for a while and just stick with the premium dry food. (according to his "vet friend" that he went to college with, and is now a vet, "wet food is only for a treat".......which I've argued and argued but to no avail)

So basically, I need advice....is anyone else feeling this crunch???

Would it be cruel to take them off the wet food when two of them have eaten it since they started eating solid foods? They get it around 5-6 am and 4-5 at night, and let me tell you right now, THEY *KNOW* WHEN IT'S TIME and meow up a storm until they are fed.

HELPPPPPPP!!!

I also free feed my cats dry food and wet food is their primary meal.
You know, you can save a lot if you cook their food yourself. There are lots of recipes for healthy cat food. You can prepare their meals once a week, store the proper amounts in plastic containers, refrigerate them and feed your cats accordingly.
I used to give my cats canned food. Then I switched to home cooked meals and I noticed that they are healthier and happier.

What kinda wet food are you feeding them?

Friskies...but only the Shredded kind.... I have no idea why but it's the only kind they'll eat and they love it!

Like I said, to most of you, the price per can of Friskies may not seem like a lot, but it is A LOT to us.

We used to get it on sale 4 for a dollar. Now it's 69-79cents a can and not much better on sale! That's just a lot for us when we are having trouble even feeding ourselves these days!!

69-79 cents is a lot. I get authority for 68 cents per can and it's the 6 oz cans...But I think authority is better quality than friskies. I agree you can cook the food for them it will be much healthier than friskies canned if you do that too!! Or you can reduce the amount of wet feedings to once a day...

Originally Posted by DaniMarie

Friskies...but only the Shredded kind.... I have no idea why but it's the only kind they'll eat and they love it!

Like I said, to most of you, the price per can of Friskies may not seem like a lot, but it is A LOT to us.

We used to get it on sale 4 for a dollar. Now it's 69-79cents a can and not much better on sale! That's just a lot for us when we are having trouble even feeding ourselves these days!!

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I feed my 6 bags of fur the same brand.......I shop around for it on sale then buy 60 cans at a time. I get it on sale in Michigan for 39-40 cents a can. I do hear you on the price increase tho

What stores do you have reasonable access to? Any Costco's or anything like that? Which dry are you feeding?

But, please, IMO, don't beat yourself up if you end up increasing their dry a bit and decreasing their wet...the most important things to these cats is a good home and decent food - and you have to keep a roof over your own heads as well. Don't forget, there are a lot of cats who live to 15-20 years on dry food. Don't let anyone make you feel badly that you have to work with a budget - I know you're already cutting corners elsewhere to make sure the kitties get the best you can manage.

I have found the large 13 oz cans of Friskies at PetSmart and at Walmart for $0.70 + Look around and ask if the place you usually purchase from can get the larger cans.

Next, ask your husband's friend how many classes he had in feline nutrition. I asked my vet and she said Hills Science taught a 3 hour class and that was all. I think they learn more about the prescription diets than a healthy diet.

Good luck and I hope you can find some good bargains.

Yeah those big cans are just the MUSHY kind of Friskies....my cats have sensitive tummies, which is why they can only eat the Shredded kind. They can't eat that mush.

I've been thinking of splitting one six ounce can into six spoonfuls for the day.

I feel guilty.......but maybe if they just have that little bit and then still eat their nutritious dry food it'll work out. I reallyyyyyyyyyy don't want to do that, but I need to do something to try to cut costs right now. The cheapest I have found the cans on sale are 44cents each...which is 88cents a day if I use only two.

I just don't know!!! They just went up another 4 cents....Honestly Stop & Shop is where they are the cheapest. We've tried the discount stores and there's no difference, if not more than supermarket sales....and let's not even talk about pet stores!!! The last sale at petco was like 55cents a can!!!

Thanks for everyone offering reassurance. I think if I just give them that one ounce serving twice a day, they'll be ok. Well.... maybe not.... I'll have to try it.....

My cats like friskies shredded the best too.. I buy in 12 pak or 24 pak cases..I find it a little cheaper that way.. My 13 cats get 2 cans a day between them all + the bowls are always filled with dry cat chow or friskies dry..

I miss Stop & Shop.

I moved to NC last fall and all the wet cat food down here is more than 10 cents per can higher than up in MA, which is weird, considering in general it costs less to live here than up there.

I lost my job in April of 2008, and had to cut back on the wet back then. They complained a bit at first, but then they got used to it, and now they just get really happy when they DO get their wet. That's once to twice a week now instead of once every day.

I feed them Royal Canin dry, free fed as well, and that works well, because I know they are getting what they need as far as nutrients. Ginger eats Meow Mix wet but the others are happy with the Friskies shredded chicken in gravy - that's the only one that I liked the ingredients in, plus it's ok on the bengals' tummies.

I felt really guilty at first, having to cut the budget down so much - Penny used to eat a can of Sheba chicken & duck every day, and that stuff is like $1.20 per 2.5 ounce serving! But she likes the Friskies just as much and it doesn't cause tummy problems.

So I got over my guilt, and they adjusted to not having wet every day, and this is the way it stays until I get a good job again and my situation improves.

Please don't feel bad - we sometimes have to do the best we can, and that's the best we can do.

Yeah I just dropped about $85 for a month's worth of canned food. Next month it will cost much more because Minka & Leo will be out of dry (right now they are half dry/half wet). I'm not thrilled about the prospect but I'll stick with it as long as I can.

Don't feel bad about feeding half dry/half wet. If that is still too expensive, what about serving wet for dinner every other day? That would cut your wet food cost in half (but obviously they'd eat more dry then, so it would still cost you).

Just do whatever you've got to do to get through these tough times! Your kitties will be okay.

I think your kitties would be pretty grumpy if you tried to cut out the canned food completely! Plus, the moist food is good for them, to prevent chronic dehydration and UTIs. Canned food is cheaper than vet bills!

Do you have a Sam's Club in the area? They sell a 48-can box for less than $20.00 (about 40¢ a can). Both shredded and loaf. That's where I buy it. Of course, you have to have a membership, and it might not be worth it if you don't need the other stuff they sell.

Wal-Mart sells a 12-pack for $6.00 (about 50¢ a can). I do think 79¢-89¢ a can is expensive for that brand.

Sicne they don't get much canned food, you could try a cheaper brand....Nine Lives or Special Kitty or something. If you can find a flavor they like.

Wow US$0.89 works out to be like NZ$1.60 - that is SO cheap for cat food. Even on sale at $0.40 is not even NZ$1 a can! I should come and live in the states.

My 4 cats eat US$2-3 of raw meat a day and probably the same of canned. (One cannot stomach raw/wet)

I know you're on a tight budget though so I hope you can work something out. I definitely think buying in bulk is the way to go.

What about offering a little raw food here and there?

I don't mean go out and buy extra food, but if you are having chicken or beef for supper, then feed the cats some of it. Like if you were to cook up a whole chicken, cats can eat the wings (which alot of people just throw out), the innards(heart/liver/etc).

Of course that will only help if your cats will eat raw. But if they do, it would definately help you out financially (if you are not buying more meat, instead giving parts you don't eat) and its great for the kitties. We have a forum here on raw feeding

Raw combined with wet food once or twice a week, would be great. If they won't eat raw, let them have wet as often as you can and watch to make sure they drink enough water. Cutting back the wet food also means cutting the water intake..... If they don't seem to be drinking enough, you may have to spend some money on a water fountain.....

Good luck. I hope you find something that works for your cats health and your budget.

Oh I know just what you mean about the prices of the cat food going up!I feed the ferals friskies ( and I also have 5 indoor cats I buy food for) and can usually get Friskies from Food Lion for
$4.50 for 10 cans, it also helps that if you write the purina company and ask for coupons they will send you some!Hope this helps you out some

What are you using for dry? perhaps you can get a lesser priced dry to offset the costs for the wet.

One of the reasons i switched dry foods was to offset the rising cost of the wet, mine will only eat certain types... fancy feast from 65-90cents per can and friskies pouch 59-64 cents a pouch and the shredded type for about 65-69cents a can.

Now the dry i went to is still good quality just is less than what i was paying for my pervious dry food.

Just an idea, i certainly wouldn't pull the wet entirely, our first set of cats, free fed on cat chow and ate wet twice daily, they lived decent lives.. 17 & 18.5-19yrs so i do think the combo feed style is important.

The only way I get a crushed pill into Stumpy is with the gravy from Friskies shredded. I know they don't sell it at Costco and it doesn't come in large cans. The least expensive place to find it right now is Petsmart. They used to sell it for 30 cents a can (on sale for 4/$1), and I think regular price right now (around here) is 50 cents a can. It goes on sale for as low as 35 cents once in a while and I stock up when it does.

The rest of what I give mine are pate flavors, mostly Authority, which isn't outrageous. I have to watch price because I feed 9 cats wet (with dry supplements).

I know what you are saying about a price increase. About 3 years ago, the grocery store sold it for 32 cents a can. After the big food recall last year, I went to that store and they advertised a sale for 50 cents a can. I asked to speak to the manager and asked why they were trying to fool people with their sign. Friskies was one of the few companies not involved in that food recall and used it as an opportunity to raise their price.

My gang only gets Friskies for wet (it's all my oldest girl will touch).
If you, or someone you know has a Costco or Sam's Club membership (assuming you have either near you), buy it there.

I pay $19 for a 48 can case at Sam's (carry the cases in both the pate and shredded variety), it really is a huge bargain compared to buying it by the can.