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Pets In The Park - free basic vet care for pets of homeless owners (+ posting low cost resources) in c/australia@aussie.zone
[–] [S] 1 point 2 months ago*

This is possibly more for the people feeding community cats/strays or fostering. And this can be sending a mixed message, obviously lower quality dry food has the risk of health issues/emergencies like blocked bladder when feeding for an extended time.

But if you’re needing to feed multiple pets on a budget and can afford to pay the cost upfront, it’s possible to save a lot of money by buying in bulk. (Note - if it doesn’t get used up very fast you might want to consider keeping it in a plastic or metal bin or tub with a lid and putting a moisture absorber in there. So mice don’t chew their way in and it doesn’t go mouldy.)

The lowest end can be around $30ish for 8kg of Moggybix or $34 for 20kg of Eureka. It’s much higher for premium and prices keep getting hiked but sizes vary and the unit cost can be lower than half or even a fraction.

As always shop around and compare as some deals aren’t the best. Watch sales and use reward programs or discount codes too.

https://www.costco.com.au/Grocery-Household/Pet-Supplies/Cat-Food/c/cos_18.7.2

https://www.bigw.com.au/pet-food-pet-care-accessories/bulk-pet-food-accessories/bulk-cat-food/c/770203

https://www.petcircle.com.au/cat/food/bulk?sort_by=once-off-price&sort_order=ascending

https://www.bunnings.com.au/products/pet-supplies/cats/cat-food

https://www.salce.com.au/ (Wholesale, bulk cat and dog food not showing but check back I guess)

https://www.petstock.com.au/products/eureka-bulk-up-20kg-1-variant-141216000232 (currently out of stock but check back)

https://www.bestproductsaustralia.com/dry-food-cat-bulk

For stray cat desexing check out a targeted desexing program through your council if a grant has been received, or Give A Kitty A Home.

https://www.petrescue.com.au/library/articles/free-cat-desexing-a-win-for-cats-councils-and-communities#targeted%20desexing

https://agriculture.vic.gov.au/livestock-and-animals/animal-welfare-victoria/cats/cat-management-initiatives/targeted-cat-desexing-program

https://gakah.org.au/our-programs

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    How Australia’s other half heals: all aboard the superyacht where rehab costs $600,000 a week in c/australia@aussie.zone
    [–] 6 points 3 months ago (1 child)

    Agreed. This is not even a matter of receiving treatment more quickly and being more comfortable during it vs being forced to wait. It’s more like an obscenely luxurious holiday vs being left to struggle with nothing and often die.

    The gap is widening on everything. I often think with the rise of privatisation (and other factors) Australia is slowly becoming more Americanised.

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    • How to get the best view of the Lyrid meteor shower in Australian skies in c/australia@aussie.zone
    Pets In The Park - free basic vet care for pets of homeless owners (+ posting low cost resources) in c/australia@aussie.zone
    [–] [S] 1 point 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

    Help to avoid needing to surrender your pet, or how to surrender if not avoidable

    (VIC) https://secondchanceanimalrescue.com.au/surrendering/

    https://rspcavic.org/surrendering-your-pet/

    https://www.petrescue.com.au/library/articles/help-i-need-to-rehome-my-pet

    (QLD) https://petwelfare.org.au/pets-for-life

    https://petwelfare.org.au/rehome-a-pet

     

    Community cat program https://petwelfare.org.au/community-cat-programs (free desexing and other things, such as helping carers of stray cats or semi-owned cats adopt officially)

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    Pets In The Park - free basic vet care for pets of homeless owners (+ posting low cost resources) in c/australia@aussie.zone
    [–] [S] 1 point 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago)

    I was waiting for Aristopet spot ons to come back in stock as a 3 pack for <4kg cats was $20. This is very good value and was recommended as safe. Unfortunately they’re no longer listed on the site and other sellers are gouging.

    I’ve found Neovet which has the same ingredients and a similar price point at ~$25 for the same size, however I’m unfamiliar with the brand. It also carries a warning to not apply it to dogs, use with caution in sick underweight or debilitated cats and safety has not been established in pregnant or lactating cats. Not sure if that’s standard for these ingredients so probably ask someone who would know. But it has good reviews. https://www.budgetpetproducts.com.au/product/neovet-for-cats-over-4kg-3-pack/22888

    Adding that Aristopet ear canker drops are really well priced but contain pyrethrins so probably don’t use them on cats. Because toxic.

    Also be careful using Exelpet flea spray, it is cheap but contains pyrethrins so might be ok for dogs but not cats. https://www.productreview.com.au/listings/exelpet-fleaban-insecticidal-spray-for-cats-and-dogs

    If you want something to spray the house with try Sundew flea spray which does cost more but uses imidacloprid.

    Please don’t use onion, garlic, or tea tree oil (or any essential oils) as a budget option to treat fleas or ear infections either. Toxic to cats and possibly dogs.

    Also this site is a good guide to sussing out cat and dog food. https://www.petfoodreviews.com.au/

    I’m especially looking at Australian cat foods. But the ‘best cat food’ page has a few budget suggestions a bit down the page.

    I’m looking for affordable kibble for a stray that isn’t too bad as I’ve seen reports of cheap dry foods like Moggybix and Friskies causing kidney disease and urinary blockages. And while I was using Smitten wet food for a little while apparently the dry food version is bad too. As is Whiskas.

    Obviously do what you have to do but it’s not great to feed stuff like this long term as it can lead to massive vet bills. And note that while there definitely are reasons to also use dry kibble, even a cheap wet food seems to be better value and fewer health problems than dry. It’s much better for their kidneys.

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    Pets In The Park - free basic vet care for pets of homeless owners (+ posting low cost resources) in c/australia@aussie.zone
    29
    Pets In The Park - free basic vet care for pets of homeless owners (+ posting low cost resources) (www.petsinthepark.org.au)
    submitted 4 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) by to c/australia@aussie.zone
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    With the cost of living being what it is this could potentially be useful to someone.

    Unfortunately not every state currently has a participating clinic but there are different locations around Australia.

    I’m also going to piggyback on this to say that even if you’re not homeless but just in financial hardship some pet shops will give you the expired but still usable parasite treatments for your pet if you ask. For free. And possibly also pet food. At least Petstock in Melbourne does.

    Please avoid buying flea products for cats from the supermarket as they may be contaminated with or contain pyrethrins which are toxic to cats. Aristopet flea and worm spot ons are the much cheaper generic version of another brand and are recommended if you can’t afford the premium brands. (I’m aware Aristopet is stocked in supermarkets too but due to that I checked with a pet shop manager that this product was okay.) Purina I’m told is not so good.

    Edit: Please don’t buy a higher dosage of parasite treatment (or other meds) and split it between pets to save money. This may be alright with very safe OTC supplements like Zylkene and you may open a capsule or break a tablet to give half if your vet says to. But the reason it isn’t really safe to split up a larger dose of medication between animals or multiple administrations is that the drug isn’t always equally distributed through the whole of it, so one part may have way too much of the drug and another not enough. Flea products intended for dogs can also kill cats.

    It’s possible to get pet meds cheaper online if you get the prescription from the vet and submit it to the website. There will be a delay due to mailing it out but this is legit.

    Also check if there are local pet food pantries. Some human food pantries may also give pet food.

    In Melbourne Lort Smith gives concession discounts and offers payment plans. Open Pay is available at other practices.

    Pets Of The Homeless is another great resource. (Their aim is to offer enough help for you to keep your pet through tough times so they will NOT take your pet away. In fact they don’t even accept surrenders.) They also offer emergency boarding, low cost desexing, a pet food bank, covers the costs of vet care and euthanasia and a one-off cover of a medical procedure in your pet’s lifetime.

    Edit: There’s also Best Mates run by Dr Jason Rapke in Glen Iris or Pet Medical Crisis.

    Low cost desexing may also be offered by The Cat Protection Society, RSPCA or through your local council.

    Hope this helps someone 🤞

    What are your 'tips' to save money and respect our planet? in c/environment@aussie.zone
    [–] 2 points 4 months ago (1 child)

    I’m not sure, I’m not a mod or anything. I’m just trying to keep them active to maintain an alternative to Reddit.

    Yeah… I have done my best but am completely burned out in terms of activism and I’m not sure if we’re making it out of this anytime soon.

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    • What are your 'tips' to save money and respect our planet? in c/environment@aussie.zone
    What are your 'tips' to save money and respect our planet? in c/environment@aussie.zone
    [–] 6 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (5 children)

    https://aussie.zone/c/gardeningaustralia

    https://aussie.zone/c/frugal

    I’ve been trying to keep these places alive for that purpose. Go nuts guys.

    Food Australia is also a good place to swap budget recipes. Sewing, repairing and reducing waste might help get more life out of items if they’re not too poorly made. Edit: https://aussie.zone/c/ausrenovation

    There’s room to reduce wildlife deaths by helping to get outdoor or unowned cats fixed to reduce their numbers and homing them inside. (Assuming the ability to volunteer or have pets. I’m currently having trouble trapping one and not in a space to take him on.)

    But I agree, even the most dedicated individual efforts aren’t likely to be effective without systematic change.

    Still… there’s a backlog of tips in there, a lot of them mine. Take these spaces and do your best to manage anyway.

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    Bunnings wins fight to use AI facial recognition tech to combat store crime, opening door for other retailers in c/australia@aussie.zone
    It appears you no longer have the right to protest | First Dog on the Moon in c/australia@aussie.zone
    Sydney author guilty of child abuse after book, Daddy’s Little Toy, depicted adult role-playing as toddler in c/australia@aussie.zone
    [–] 2 points 5 months ago

    The book is not something I would want to read. Definitely uncomfortable.

    However I feel like actual charges and jail time over fictional content (especially adults roleplaying) is a dangerous precedent to set.

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    20
    First confirmed cases of H5 bird flu on Australian Island - BirdLife Australia (birdlife.org.au)
    submitted 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) by to c/environment@aussie.zone
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    Edit: If you suspect a bird is sick or there are unusual deaths avoid touching it, take photos or videos and record the location if possible. Report it all to the Emergency Animal Disease Hotline 1800 675 888 https://birdlife.org.au/h5-bird-flu-avoid-record-report/

    There’s also AviFluMap https://birdlife.org.au/h5n1-avian-influenza/

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    Wildlife water in light of avian flu (aussie.zone)
    submitted 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) by to c/environment@aussie.zone
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    The weather is warming up and it’s good to put out water. Especially now I’ve got magpies here.

    However I stopped doing it because of potential disease transmission with avian flu. (Especially owning a vulnerable elderly cat - who is kept indoors but could get sick if I tracked something in.)

    I’m physically disabled so would have trouble cleaning and disinfecting the water containers daily.

    What’s everyone else’s plan for managing this?

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    Australia to be 'vigilant' as deadly bird flu reaches mainland Antarctica for the first time (www.9news.com.au)
    submitted 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) by to c/melbourne@aussie.zone
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    Sorry, this article is older but has more general information for those who don't keep chooks.

    H5N1 affects birds, cows, cats, and humans (and more). High mortality rate. No known human to human transmission yet but it's global, we're like the last place that hasn't got it, and the risk to our birds is now considered high. There's a chance the virus may enter from the north when birds migrate in spring.

    Structure and behaviour similar to Coronavirus. In addition to direct contact or respiratory and surface transmission it can also affect the safety of fresh milk and eggs (fact check this but it seems to according to what's happening in America).

    Fingers crossed this doesn't become Covid 2:The Electric Boogaloo

    22
    Australia’s back yard chicken owners urged to implement biosecurity measures in case of bird flu outbreak (www.theguardian.com)
    submitted 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) by to c/environment@aussie.zone
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    This is paraphrasing and may need fact checking. However from what I've seen of the situation in America this can have a greater than 50% mortality rate, affects humans cats and other animals, and is spreading through cows. It seems to be global however Australia seems to be one of the few places still free of it so far.

    If we get an outbreak here it's going to be similar to covid with the masks and disinfection, with the added recommendation of eye protection, and the issue of it affecting the safety of eggs and milk.

    It doesn't seem to pass from human to human yet? But while we seem to be in the clear for now, let's watch our butts just in case that flip occurs and it gets over here on people or migrating birds.

    It could be really sensible to do things like keep chickens and pet birds away from wild birds, wash hands after handling birds, use masks, be careful of having bird feeders, keep cats inside to not hunt birds... you know. Just use caution.

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