Need Kitty Food Couponing Advice

[bgheuchert]

So my stockpile is coming along nicely, I have really focused on certain areas, built them up, and now feel like I have a good handle on them and can keep stock rotating through those areas without a lot of effort. One thing I have had problems with is Cat Food. I want to go with a higher quality brand and would not rule out starting to make my own cat food, I really would like to be able to buy a high quality food (like BLUE) at a discounted price. I want to build up a 6-8month supply over the summer and be fully stocked with it for next winter (we live in the boonies and its a pain to get out in the winter).

SO THIS IS WHAT I AM LOOKING FOR: What brands have you found easy to coupon or get discounts at? And at what stores? What are your tricks to couponing and getting great quality Cat Food for cheap (or cheaper).


Cat Lovers let out your secrets!

[bgheuchert]

Oh and Kitty Litter TOOO!

[Kyeste]

I use Felidae, Wellness, Blue, and ones like those as well, and admittedly there isn't too much savings - at least in my area where we don't have fancy pet stores like Pet Valu, Pet Smart, etc. that have deals on them. I'm not much help, but here's some information I do have.

Canidae's website offers coupons for their Felidae grain-free products.
http://www.canidae.com/cats/grain-free-cat-coupon.php

And if you order their 'dog' coupons one of them is valid on Felidae as well! Best part is? It's valid on ANY Felidae! So we get my 19 year old cat the Platinum senior cat food - he loves it! (Too bad my dog hates the dry food I got her!)
http://www.canidae.com/dogs/grain-free-dog-coupon.php

Blue has coupons available on their website right now. $3.00 for cat food, $5.00 for dog food.
http://bluebuffalo.com/cat-food-comp...true-blue-test

Sometimes I contact the companies (since I have 5 cats they tend to send me some nice coupons) if they don't have an offer on their webpage.

Check your local pet stores and see if they offer special deals like "buy 10 bags get 1 free". Not all do (I wish mine did!) but that adds up to a fine savings right there.

Also watch the expiry dates at the stores! Dry animal food is good for up to 4 months after the expiry date. I get bags of Wellness for 50% off 2 months prior to their expiry, which means they're good for 6 months! Of course they last a week in my house, but still.

At my store when I order in cases of animal food, they often give me a discount because it's a guaranteed purchase and I'm a loyal customer. It's a small, privately owned one so I'm not sure if chain stores do this... but worth checking into!



As for litter, my sister has 4 cats (she had 5, one just got put down ) and swears by Worlds Best Cat Litter. A bag has lasted her 4 months so far. Think she paid about $25 for it, maybe $30.

I admittedly am not a very good owner and just buy the cheap stuff at the grocery store - I know, I know, it's really, really bad for the animals, and I plan to switch to non-dust litter, but I can't afford it at the moment. The Compliments brand at Foodland goes on sale for 11KG for about $6. My cats are happy with it. We have 8 large litter boxes around my house and it takes 3 boxes of litter to fill them all every week... costly!

[Kyeste]

I also tend to buy Friskies wet food - as well as Felidae - because my cats are pigs. It's not the healthiest, but because they go through so much wet food I try and save money this way (I sometimes mix it with Felidae wet to keep it a tad healthier, but they much prefer Friskies). I watch out for the 3/$1.29 sale at Shopper's Drug Mart, and stock up. Especially when the $1/12 coupon comes out.

[lekate]

I'm not much help, I work at a Pet Valu and get a discount on holistic foods. If something 'expires' on the shelf, I'll bring it home.

Nature's Variety and Wellness offer email coupons (at least they have).

Litter - I use Feline Fresh, a pine base litter, two of my three cats go outdoors, I think they use they go outside most of the time. I love this litter, the company does a buy 6 get 1 free mail in thing.

Making their own food isn't too hard (or going raw) and don't pay attention to the naysayers, what's the difference between preparing meat for humans vs. cats? Obviously google recipes and others who do it, but anyone in the industry who says it's not healthy or blah blah blah obviously want the cats to stay on a commercially prepared diet...

[anastasia1009]

I am a mother of 4 cats. One had PU/UTI surgery & Himalayan so he has a sensitive stomach. One who hates anything human except for lactose free milk, butter, sour cream and rice and cat food. One is a senior and the other eats anything.
So right now I feed them Friskes Can & whiskas trays. Once or twice a week I feed 3 kitties BFF cause feeding them organic all the time costs too much. Also I give them GO hard food from Pet Valu - trying to find coupons for the hard food.
Kitty litter I have tried so many brands and even corn litter but one of my cats hates it and pees on the floor. I have the electronic one and normal large pan but we only use Walmart kitty litter and I add baking soda.
For the PU kitty I give him some raw meat helps his stomach. Plus I freeze sweet potatoes and slippery elm for the kitties for pee or poo problems.
I find it super hard to get cat coupons but if u email the companies I find they send u nice coupons.
I am learning to do raw food diet for the PU cat but can take up some time to learn cause they need vitamins.
I would love to know how to find coupons for kitties and especially for treats cause I go through bags of temptation and dried chicken treats.

[Jnazurk]

I will only say this with pets. Don't go TOO crazy with a stockpile because they change, just like us. You don't want to end up with a whack of stuff they will no longer or can't eat/use. And, as they age, dietary needs change too and can change with no notice I had one cat who was in the later stages of his life (he was 11) and everything from food to treats to litter changed. (you can always donate, I guess).
The cat I have now has to eat at least one meal of wet food a day, as per vet's orders. He WiLL ONLY eat wet Meow Mix. I've tried everything else and he won't even try anything else. So yes, it's cheap which is good but the vet isn't thrilled with the cat's choice.

[anastasia1009]

its hard when your cat won't eat anything else but a certain brand. rascal is like that only Friskies wet and has to have some seafood in it. try anything else he looks up at you and meows. he hates organic cause its too like human food. but as long as he is happy he gets what he wants

[aoffman]

I used to feed my cat cheapie food till I started couponing. I switched to Iams since there are plenty of coupons around for it. My cats love it, their fur is a lot softer now too.

[anastasia1009]

My cats love this stuff its organic and made in Canada. Here is a coupon to try it out
http://www.petcurean.com/coupon

[bobbiegirl2010]

I buy my dry cat food at TSC store. They sell large bags of premium brands in (I think 10 or 15kg) so you get a bulk discount price. You can also buy large bags of dry cat food at Petsmart stores. I think they are more expensive than TSC but they sometimes have a sale or promotion. A month or 2 ago they had a coupon for spend $50 and save $25 which is a pretty good deal.

For wet food I buy Whiskas or Fancy Feast (whatever is on sale) and use coupons if I have them.

For cat litter, I prefer the clumping so I buy whatever's cheapest.

Hope that helps!

[breylormom]

Careful with stockpiling dry food....most only have a 6 month shelf life (including the time it sits in the store & warehouse).

Homemade food is hard to balance, so combine it with commercial cat food. Keep the meat content high, avoid grains. Crockpot cooking is more digestable than raw or regular cooking, so best for older and younger cats. Adult cats can handle raw but feed whole meat, not ground meats. Personally I like to cook it (so easy in a crock pot), but that is just me. If you feed solely homemade, research it really well to know how to balance it, otherwise you could end up with nutritional deficiencies. Actually, the best diet for a cat is whole mice...LOL (ick!).

[lekate]

Careful with stockpiling dry food....most only have a 6 month shelf life (including the time it sits in the store & warehouse).

Homemade food is hard to balance, so combine it with commercial cat food. Keep the meat content high, avoid grains. Crockpot cooking is more digestable than raw or regular cooking, so best for older and younger cats. Adult cats can handle raw but feed whole meat, not ground meats. Personally I like to cook it (so easy in a crock pot), but that is just me. If you feed solely homemade, research it really well to know how to balance it, otherwise you could end up with nutritional deficiencies. Actually, the best diet for a cat is whole mice...LOL (ick!).

My mom's boy kitty didn't know what to do with the mouse he caught and killed, dropped it at my feet and ran for his dry food. Silly kitty.

[lekate]

I used to feed my cat cheapie food till I started couponing. I switched to Iams since there are plenty of coupons around for it. My cats love it, their fur is a lot softer now too.

IAMS is mostly an overpriced food too though, it's still mostly corn (dirt cheap) and chicken by-products. Because they have brand recognition as being 'better' many believe it, but their ingredients are no better than most of the cheapies...

[KK7]

just an fyi be careful with stocking up I am a clean freak I had my pet food many bags probally 6 bag for pup and same for cats on my top shelf in front closet nothing on there BUT that all closed and sealed I got for the first time ever an infestation of red ants they got into the food bags and everything had to throw them all away : (