There are some items on the market that your pet simply doesn’t need. It is all for marketing. Save your money and check the list of the top five offenders.
1. Luxury Pet Bed
Your pet deserves a soft, clean place to rest; but there is no need to spend a fortune on bedding. Opt for a cozy, simple bed that you’ll keep clean and inviting for afternoon naps and a retreat from the busy household.
2. Clothing
Sure, it may seem fun to dress up your animals for a special occasion or during the winter’s harshest temperatures; but animals really weren’t meant to wear clothing. Save money and skip the clothes or purchase simple, soft clothing that you don’t mind getting ruined by accidents or a day at the park.
3. Expensive Treats
Your vet will have the best advice for the appropriate treat for your animal and we encourage you to follow this advice. But if you’re interested in purchasing expensive treats just for fun, your pet won’t know the difference. For dogs, a sturdy bone and for cats a delicious wholesome treat will do.
4. Grooming
Make grooming your pet a daily routine and you’ll save loads of money on expensive grooming. Brush fur and even brush their teeth to keep them beautiful and healthy. Of course some breeds require extensive grooming but shop around and speak to other owners to find the best deal.
5. Stroller
While some people treat their pets as children, unless your pet has a mobility issues it’s best to skip the stroller. Cats generally don’t need a walk around the block and dogs should get the exercise instead of being carted around on a stroller.
I like the "Luxury Pet Bed" for myself; it's more comfortable than my own. My cats hog my bed anyway.
But seriously this is a good post. Don't be wasting your money on things that are useless and fun for you, but torture to the pets.
Marketing techniques will always get people to buy products they don't really need.
ihins, you will need one extra large double king sized pet bed for yourself. They aren't usually big enough for humans. With it, you can ditch your mattress.
I could write another novella here regarding the stuff on the market for reptiles. I'll just add one for the moment. Calci-sand. Every one of the companies that produces reptile products has their own version. It is not only a waste of money, it can be dangerous. Calcium carbonate, which is what is added to most of the products, and is the base ingredients in most calcium supplements, is also a needed ingredient to turn sand into concrete, because when mixed they clump in water and have a difficult time dissolving. This is not good in most reptiles stomachs. And since it does have calcium in it, some lizards will lick and eat it trying to get the calcium.
There is a large debate among many people as to whether to keep certain species (bearded dragons, leopard geckos, etc...) on sand or not, but that is for another debate. If you are going to use sand, buy plain play sand, sift it once if you like to make sure there are no pebbles. It is 10x less expensive, if your animal does ingest any it will be much easier to pass, and they will be less likely to lick the sand by itself, even if they are hypocalcemic, (once again, a separate subject, and the reason that many people who buy this stuff end up with animals eating it.)
It is the same with fish keeping. There are tons of chemical stuff they try to sell us. Ammonia reducer, nitrate reducer, algae killer, PH up/down, etc. Many of them are actually harmful to the fish. The only thing we ever need is the water conditioner to neutralize chlorine in the tap water. Other than water conditioner, we only need medication as the last resort if the fish is sick and can't recover by itself.
Marketing, marketing, marketing... was one of my majors. :p
If they make it, someone will buy it. The majority of cat toys are useless. The only things I buy mine are the rabbit-fur mice. Otherwise, a strip of polarfleece from my sewing attached to a stick is great. And how about the basic empty box or paper grocery bag? In all honesty though, I make and sell catnip toys. All of them look like human food, from Christmas cookies and chocolate bunnies to sushi and fortune cookies. Poeple think it looks so cool, especially the sushi, and the holiday items are great for gift giving. No matter what the shape, it all has lots of locally grown catnip inside, and that's all the cat cares about when you get right down to it.
If the pet uses it and it makes the owner happy then it isn't really a waste. I know its crazy what some of these things cost, and its crazy that some people will spend the money on them. But that is just how it is. For some that is just the way they show that they love their pet.
As far as the luxury bed goes, that might not be needed but it might be the one that matches the room it will go in. Some might not want it to stand out.
Even a cheap bed isn't "needed", sometimes a folded blanket will do.
Completely agree on the bedding issue. Animals will search for a spot that is comfortable to them. I think as for toys, especially for dogs. The Kong type of toys are probably the best. Those things are merely indestructible. If your dog tends to chew up the tennis balls in under a few hours then these would probably be better for them. Empty cardboards boxes and bags are a cats best friend. We've spent a few dollars for some of the mini-mice that have small amount of catnip in them and our cats went crazy for them. Even when the catnip was gone they still like to play with them.
06-02-2012, 02:56 PM, (This post was last modified: 06-02-2012, 02:57 PM by Karenskatz.)
Something that people seem to spend lots on are fancy litter boxes. Like building a better moustrap, there has been so much human engineering put into litterboxes that you don't have to scoop, or don't have to do much to scoop, or don't smell. "Just lift out the Magic Sifter...", "The electric eye triggers the Automatic Scooper...", "Just roll it over and..." None of them realy work, and some (like covered boxes) many cats won't use.
(06-02-2012, 02:56 PM)Karenskatz Wrote: Something that people seem to spend lots on are fancy litter boxes. Like building a better mousetrap, there has been so much human engineering put into litterboxes that you don't have to scoop, or don't have to do much to scoop, or don't smell. "Just lift out the Magic Sifter...", "The electric eye triggers the Automatic Scooper...", "Just roll it over and..." None of them really work, and some (like covered boxes) many cats won't use.
Just more "high tech" stuff that are not necessary.
It reminds me of those toilets that can wash you clean...
I really can't add more to this other than I agree, especially on the cat toys. They obviously only make cat toys for weak kittens. My cats utterly destroy any of the soft plushies or feather-based toys within an hour.
Empty boxes, strings, balled up sheets of paper, waving pens and the like in their face, etc all make for better and cheaper toys.
But what gets me is the cost of kitty litter ... clumping or not. Between 4 cats and 3 boxes, I go through roughly 80lbs of litter a month (4 - 20lbs tubs) .. anywhere from $25-$40 a month (depending on sales and coupons).
Does that stuff even degrade or does it sit for eternity in the plastic bags in the dump? UGH! I wish I could toilet train my cats! LOL
I agree with most everything listed, with a few exceptions:
Clothing: since we got our chihuahua a coat to wear outside on cold days, she won't go outside anymore without it on cold days. She even runs over to where it's hanging on the wall if we try to snap the leash on before we've put the coat on her!
Grooming: my folks are elderly and have arthritis in their hands and wrist. They can cope with a light, daily coat brushing but washing and haircuts are more than they can handle themselves. A reasonably priced groomer is more than worth the cost for them.
(06-10-2012, 07:29 AM)RuthieB Wrote: I agree with most everything listed, with a few exceptions:
Clothing: since we got our chihuahua a coat to wear outside on cold days, she won't go outside anymore without it on cold days. She even runs over to where it's hanging on the wall if we try to snap the leash on before we've put the coat on her!
Grooming: my folks are elderly and have arthritis in their hands and wrist. They can cope with a light, daily coat brushing but washing and haircuts are more than they can handle themselves. A reasonably priced groomer is more than worth the cost for them.
You are right. It actually makes sense for chihuahua to wear something in cold weather due to their thin fur. Most dogs I saw wearing clothes already have a lot of their own 'coats'.
Most groomer charges more than they worth. But I guess there are always people willing to pay, or they wouldn't be in business unless they reduce the price.
I have to say that I don't have a single thing on that list. Someone gave us a bed when we first got our cat, but he never once slept in that thing. I can't imagine even trying to put clothes on him without losing skin, he gets enough "treats" when I am cooking, we brush him every day to keep the cat hair at bay, and a stroller?? Even though I am sure the kids would love to do that...again it comes down to keeping my skin lol.
I don’t necessarily think these purchases are a waste of money if the owner can afford them. I agree with you that the pet might not know the difference or want luxury goods but sometimes pet owners buy things for their pets because it makes them happy. I meant them as in the owners he he. I agree with you though sometimes it was the simple treats and toys my dogs and cats loved. :-)
A big waste for birds is "bath spray." Yes, birds need baths, but plain water is so much better than the sprays with all their added chemicals. Some birds have skin issues that benefit from an occasional mist of aloe and water, and aloe and water sprays cost around $10. It's so much cheaper to buy a $3 bottle of aloe (just make sure it's pure aloe without any extra stuff added in) and add a spoonful to your bird's normal bath water.
(06-12-2012, 10:29 PM)tajnz Wrote: I don’t necessarily think these purchases are a waste of money if the owner can afford them. I agree with you that the pet might not know the difference or want luxury goods but sometimes pet owners buy things for their pets because it makes them happy. I meant them as in the owners he he. I agree with you though sometimes it was the simple treats and toys my dogs and cats loved. :-)
There is a difference between luxury (more expensive) goods, and products that are not necessary. Luxury goods can mean the very expensive products that are simply better made or better brand than the regular same type of pet products. There are certain products bring no benefits, and some other products can bring harm to the pets.
Beds for pets? No way. My dogs and cats are perfectly happy sleeping on any old rags. They are even happier if I give them some of my old clothes. Apparently the smell of me on my old clothes is pleasant to my pets.
Of course, this does not stop people from buying such things for their pets. I think the main reason is that they are brought up to believe that the more money they spend, it proves that they love their pets even more. Probably such people would do the same thing with their own children, too. Like buying expensive toys for the children without thinking whether the toys have any kind of educational value at all.
I've bought dog beds in the past, but nothing expensive. My current dog is a burrower. She is more than happy with blankets that she can crawl under and hide from us.
I agree on the expensive treats. I've never known a dog to turn down any treat. I try to buy healthy treats, but really, my dog doesn't need fancy stuff that looks like human food.
I will not buy a stroller for my dog. If she gets to where she has walking issues, they make wheel chairs for them. My dog wouldn't stay in a stroller anyway. She'd be afraid of it.
For cats, I do believe it's a waste of money for many, many items because they seem content with the simplest of items.
Luxury beds - I completely agree. My fiancee got these guys a simple bed, but they both like sitting on a cardboard box we got in the mail, newspapers, sofa, futon and a sweater I gave them.
Toys - They only like two toys: balls; squirrel for one cat and a fish for the other.
A lot of people want the best for the pets and by purchasing as many items for the pets will give them that warm fuzzy feeling. If you can afford it, sure, go ahead and buy the stuff. What we found is that empty coke cartons and plastic ties make some of the best toys any cats would love.
Personally I think the biggest hype is caused by the manufacturers of pet products. I have compared ingredients in brand name food and store brand food, and found the store brand to be very comparable; but almost half the price. When it comes to beds and toys, it is more for the owner's satisfaction than the pet's. Our dog sleeps in his kennel at night, but would just as soon sleep on our bed or the couch during the day and evening. Why would I spend $50 or more on a bed he will never use? As for the toys, he would just as soon chew on a bone than a squeaky toy (they hurt my ears, I can only imagine how his feel). As for putting clothes on them, unless it is to keep them warm, leave them be.
(06-12-2012, 10:29 PM)tajnz Wrote: I don’t necessarily think these purchases are a waste of money if the owner can afford them. I agree with you that the pet might not know the difference or want luxury goods but sometimes pet owners buy things for their pets because it makes them happy. I meant them as in the owners he he. I agree with you though sometimes it was the simple treats and toys my dogs and cats loved. :-)
I think some do notice. I have friends that bought a new collar and leash for their dog. She was so excited. When I went over they told her to show me. She ran over and put the collar by my leg. You could tell she was excited over that purchase.
I'm frugal as they come so anything I can do myself I do. Their beds have made with old fleece blankets at times. I make my own jerky and biscuits for them. The collars and leashes are also made by me. I hate spending money on things I can do myself that will save me money.
I do dress my boys in costumes for Halloween. It's a tradition that started when the kids were younger and the dogs don't seem to mind. Again I don't buy them I make them. But everyday clothes, no not even handmade.
I will spend a little extra on a nice bed for them, only because it's kind of their own little spot. Especially when I had 3 dogs, I wanted them to have something of their own. I'd rather get something of a little better quality and not have to replace it as often. We would clean them periodically, especially if one of them would get sick on it, and I wouldn't want to get something that falls apart after a few washes.
The rest of the stuff on that list I avoided. Dogs look so uncomfortable in clothes, and especially when they get older and start developing arthritis, that's likely more painful for them too. I don't see the need for a stroller either. I know sometimes the pavement can be too hot for their paws, but I just wouldn't take them out walking on days when it's blistering hot like that.
I wish I could toilet train my cats! LOL
Luxury goods can mean the very expensive products that are simply better made or better brand than the regular same type of pet products. There are certain products bring no benefits, and some other products can bring harm to the pets.