? How much do you spend per month to feed your cat(s)?

Discussion in 'Feline Health - (Welcome & Main Forum)' started by Islandmomma, Jan 22, 2017.

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  1. Islandmomma

    Islandmomma Member

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    Since Glen's diagnosis I have overhauled all of my kitties diet and am feeding strictly canned with some freeze dried raw for variety here and there.

    I sat down and calculated how much it costs per month to feed these guys and it's about $4.50/day or $1.50/cat. It seems a bit high to me but I am trying to feed good quality, non-fish based & low carb canned. Just finding something that they will all eat has been a major challenge and a lot of wasted money!

    I think they have finally settled on some selections of Friskies & Weruva Cats in the Kitchen. I also give them a can of Fancy Feast with it. So between the 3 they get one large can and a tin of FF split, morning and night. That gets left out all day. If I am home they may also get another tin of FF sometime during the day as s snack.

    My one cat will eat something once and not touch it again for at least a week :rolleyes: He is such a princess:mad:

    Anyways, just curious what it costs you to feed and seeing if I should try again to source out something that costs a bit less. The bigger cans (6 oz) of Weruva cost $2.29 here and Friskies not on sale is $0.75. FF are $0.60 at Walmart.

    Also wondering if I am shooting myself in the foot by giving them 2 flavour/brand options in the morning? They all have their favs and maybes so at least they either get a fave or a maybe! If I do that they are at least guaranteed to eat some of it! :bighug:

    This is Zeldan - unhappy his offering this morning
     

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    Last edited: Jan 22, 2017
  2. Noah & me (GA)

    Noah & me (GA) Well-Known Member

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    I wonder how much guilt and shame factor into this. What! You're not using Super Holistic/Super expensive food? Shame on you! I just leveled with the guy I trust at the local Pet******* and said "Look, nine cats, a big dog, an aquarium and a mortgage. I cannot afford top of the line forever." So we went with middle of the road stuff and everything worked out. Noah hasn't really eaten very much today so I just opened a can of Pig Slop brand and he gobbled it down. Years ago when it was either the super market or Hills from your vet I had two cats that lived to 17 and 23 on wet low-ash and did fine. That was BEFORE CLUMPING LITTER, hard to imagine isn't it? Maybe if some of these companies spent less on prime time TV advertising they could spend more on research and development. I've worked in retail forever, it's not hard to fool people, including me. I never keep track of what I spend, I'd probably be horrified.
     
  3. Islandmomma

    Islandmomma Member

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    Haha so true! I'm happy with middle of the road and would feed Friskies and FF exclusively but they only like 2 kinds of the low carb Friskies. If they ate it I would feed it but they don't.
     
  4. Noah & me (GA)

    Noah & me (GA) Well-Known Member

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    We bought this oversized house before it was a hole in the ground, too big for 2 humans. They don't make bungalows any more. So everything got flattened, no trees, no topsoil. We squealed like little girls when one day, after 3 years, we had squirrels in our backyard. That's the extent of nature in the burbs and ever since we probably spend $30/month on unsalted peanuts a month to make up for our crimes. The neighbors don't like the shells everywhere, so what, you'll live.
     
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  5. babyBoo

    babyBoo Member

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    I feed 6 or 7 servings a day to 2 cats. Servings were usually 3 oz cans of FF, but are now usually 1/2 of 5.5 oz can of Friskies(turkey&giblets, chicken, or chef dinner pate). Was using the pricier FF option because carbs seemed to be half of Friskies. But they ( or one) seemed to be vomiting a bit and the switch to higher carb Friskies not much of an impact. Probably because of the smaller serving. Also seemed to be getting higher than usual food spikes from the FF sometimes also influenced decision to switch.

    So cost weekly was about 45-50 cans of FF for two cats with Boo getting more than half of that. Now its about 25 cans of Friskies and sometimes I mix in Special Kitty cans. Wish there was a simple way to buy flats of Friskies at a reduced price.
     
  6. Squalliesmom

    Squalliesmom Well-Known Member

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    I have four cats and I never get away from the pet store for less than $200.00 a month, if I shop all the sales. If I have to pay full price it costs closer to $300.00. I also try to shop at places that have a reward program (you know, free stuff after you spend X$ or $$ off your next order) and when I buy online I shop at places where I can use Ebates. It's not much, but it helps some, and just, in general, makes the sting of spending a small fortune on cat food a little less!
     
  7. Olive & Paula

    Olive & Paula Well-Known Member

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    @Squalliesmom what are ebates?

    Off hand I don't remember what it costs. I did not long ago. Homemade was definitely cheaper. A least now PJ and Tux eat the same thing and it's minimum two 3 oz can of Proplan each. I'm always trying to give a different one in between main meals.
     
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  8. Noah & me (GA)

    Noah & me (GA) Well-Known Member

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    I have no experience with adding Taurine (spelling?) and have never had any luck with home made in 30 years. Anybody else had consistently better luck? Our boys just walk away from chicken, tuna, salmon. "How about an onion ring?" "No, bad kittie". Elmo had some strange attraction to Diet Pepsi, can't explain that. Cats!!!!
     
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  9. Lisa and Witn (GA)

    Lisa and Witn (GA) Well-Known Member

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    For 6 cats I spend about $200 per month on food. In addition I also have litter and food for a large dog.
     
  10. Squalliesmom

    Squalliesmom Well-Known Member

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    Paula, I'm sending you a PM.
     
  11. Ozzy Pawzbourne

    Ozzy Pawzbourne Well-Known Member

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    FYI..I switched my kitties to FF only and had a horrible vomiting problem from my diabetic kitty. The other one was fine. I have actually been hearing a bit about FF and kitties vomiting lately..
     
  12. Cathie and Shaak Ti (GA)

    Cathie and Shaak Ti (GA) Well-Known Member

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    I pay $1.80 a day to feed Shaak. She eats three cans of FF a day, (only classics chicken feast) She had begun to refuse to eat it a while back so I changed up her food and that made everything worse. Turned out she had a UTI and that was why she was turning down food, so I switched her for no reason. I had jumped on the bandwagon that something was wrong with FF. The whole time I tried Friskies and nine lives she wound up with diarrhea all over the place and she fell out of remission. So now I am at a start over point. Her numbers are in the high 100's to low 300's, I am praying it will work to get her back OTJ. I do know it will never happen if I can't get her on a regular schedule with her insulin
     
  13. Bronx's dad (GA)

    Bronx's dad (GA) Well-Known Member

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    Since Bronx is still unregulated and eating like mad, I am most likely spending more on him per day than myself. He eats Ziwipeak wet & Rad Cat raw. I am afraid to calculate how much!
     
  14. Cathie and Shaak Ti (GA)

    Cathie and Shaak Ti (GA) Well-Known Member

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    oh yeah, also, I went back to feeding her FF
     
  15. Islandmomma

    Islandmomma Member

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    Dec 25, 2016
    So I'm thinking what I spend is about average.

    2 of mine like commercial raw so may go back to that for them, for 1 meal a day. Zeldan won't touch it. He's the pickiest of them all!

    I usually give 2 different flavours at feeding time. Thinking I need to stop that and give the one option!
     
  16. Cathie and Shaak Ti (GA)

    Cathie and Shaak Ti (GA) Well-Known Member

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    Shaak was going through one 27lb box of litter a month but now that she is out of remission she is going through one 40lb box of litter a month.
     
  17. Squalliesmom

    Squalliesmom Well-Known Member

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    I definitely spend more on cat food than I do on groceries!
     
  18. Larry and Kitties

    Larry and Kitties Well-Known Member

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    So your dog uses a little box?
     
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  19. Noah & me (GA)

    Noah & me (GA) Well-Known Member

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    That's not that strange,I had a cat that used my pillow ONCE. Vengeful little furball! Tiny turd, dead center.
     
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  20. Squalliesmom

    Squalliesmom Well-Known Member

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    I once woke up to one of my male cats spraying me right in the middle of my forehead! That was a first for me! Fortunately, it was also a "last." I think...I hope!
     
  21. Nan & Amber (GA)

    Nan & Amber (GA) Well-Known Member

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    OK, if this is turning into a contest of some kind, I really hope that one wins, because I don't even want to think about what might top it! :eek:
     
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  22. Squalliesmom

    Squalliesmom Well-Known Member

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    Lol, it was not an experience I would care to repeat!
     
  23. JanetNJ

    JanetNJ Well-Known Member

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    About $400/month. We have 7 in our home and feed a colony of 7-9 strays.
     
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  24. Lisa and Witn (GA)

    Lisa and Witn (GA) Well-Known Member

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    No she is not litter box trained. Since she weighs over 60 lbs, I am not sure I would want to have to clean a litter box for her :nailbiting:. I meant that my monthly spending did not include the costs for litter for the cats and food for the dog.
     
  25. Noah & me (GA)

    Noah & me (GA) Well-Known Member

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    We are sticking to animals, right? Because one night I was on the subway and....... Oh! Got $4 off my 7lb. bag of SD Oral-Care on Sunday!
     
  26. sherrib

    sherrib Well-Known Member

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    What do you mean by " 2 kinds of the low carb Friskies "
     
  27. sherrib

    sherrib Well-Known Member

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    Oct 27, 2015
    Do you think the Friskies is what made her fall out of remission? The reason I'm asking is because my cat also has just fallen out of remission and all I feed is Friskies (off of the safe list here ) , but he also has an infected tooth and I am in financial trouble because I am not working so I couldn't afford to get the almost $600 dental, so as of right now he is on antibiotics for his infection.
     
  28. JanetNJ

    JanetNJ Well-Known Member

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    I'm thinking most likely it was the tooth.
     
  29. Dyana

    Dyana Well-Known Member

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    Dec 28, 2009
    I have two non diabetic cats, but still stick to the pate Fancy Feast mostly (they occasionally get a "grilled" one as a treat). The most I spend is $0.55 a can. That's what they cost at my local grocery store, and I think Walmart sells them for $0.54. With coupons and sales, I often get them for less than $0.50. My two cats get two cans each per day. So, $0.55 times 4 is $2.20 per day for two cats. That's $66.00 a month ($33.00 per cat) for Fancy Feast.
     
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  30. sherrib

    sherrib Well-Known Member

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    @Islandmomma can you please explain to me what you mean when you posted " 2 kinds of low carb Friskies "
    Which ones do you use and what are their carb counts ? I use Friskies pate only and have been getting high BG levels and now my cat is out of remission, but he also has an infected tooth . But I really need to find out about Friskies, I have switched him over to fancy feast but I am feeding two cats and the 3 ounce cans are just getting too pricey for me to use right now because I am not working and just went through a divorce and I am in financial troubles
     
  31. Chris & China (GA)

    Chris & China (GA) Well-Known Member

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    @sherrib .....any of the Friskies pates are OK.....You can also use Special Kitty pates to save some more money

    I think she was just saying that her cats will only eat 2 of the flavors of Friskies
     
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  32. Cathie and Shaak Ti (GA)

    Cathie and Shaak Ti (GA) Well-Known Member

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    sorry, I did not see this til just now.

    I couldn't say, I know several people think that Shaak's UTI was more the cause of her out of remission than the food switch up. I like to believe that they are right. So with that in mind I would think the same for you, her teeth caused it to happen most likely.
     
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  33. sherrib

    sherrib Well-Known Member

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    Does anyone happen to shop at Food Loin grocery store ? If so, have you tried their name brand pate?
     
  34. Islandmomma

    Islandmomma Member

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    @sherrib
    I meant I give them 2 flavours at one meal! Yes, they are spoiled lol
    But they all don't like the same things and they sometimes at least try the other flavours if presented with something they like
     
  35. sherrib

    sherrib Well-Known Member

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    Scared me LOL, I though only 2 were known to be safe now ( low carbs )
     
  36. StephG

    StephG Well-Known Member

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    I spend $56 a month for two cats. Chuck gets 9Lives and Kitty eats friskies (he's not diabetic)
    I recently spent $125 on young again zero mature which should last 6 months for both cats.
    I spend $13 a month for my dog's kibble.
    I easily spend $50 a month on test strips.
     
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  37. sherrib

    sherrib Well-Known Member

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    Oct 27, 2015
    I to thinking about getting the young again zero carb because his vet said that he needs to have at least 3 to 4 dry pieces of food a week to help control his teeth tartar, because can food is awful on their teeth. Given him that small amount should last me a very long time, of course I still won't be able to purchase this for a while
     
  38. StephG

    StephG Well-Known Member

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    We are having a hard time switching to YA which is my fault. But the president of the company is helping me! I'm quite pleased with the customer care! When you break it down it costs about the same as feeding 2 cans of friskies a day.
     
  39. sherrib

    sherrib Well-Known Member

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    What carb count do you feed both your cats, I'm assuming the Nondiabetic is also on low carb
     
  40. sherrib

    sherrib Well-Known Member

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    how are you getting help? I was thinking about contacting them for a sample bag.
     
  41. StephG

    StephG Well-Known Member

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    Yes Chuck's is under 5%. Kitty is on the friskies pate. I haven't looked up the carb content on his but he usually eats the poultry and fish variety pack. I try to keep the fish option low on the list since he has problems with crystals in his urine. But he's over weight and has list since switching to only friskies wet.
     
  42. StephG

    StephG Well-Known Member

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    Email them through their website
    www.youngagainpetfood.com and ask them for a sample to see how your diabetic cat reacts to their young again zero. I chose the mature Zero because both are 10 years old.
    They sent a sample along with a ton of info. They emailed me to check in to see how he was doing and if he transitioned well. I emailed back with the issues we were having and the president responded. He told me to ask for him when I call since he's familiar with our issues from our emails.
     
  43. JanetNJ

    JanetNJ Well-Known Member

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    Ask them for a free sample. Youngagainpetfood.com
     
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  44. JanetNJ

    JanetNJ Well-Known Member

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    Michael is very passionate about the product. He called me a few weeks ago to ask how my cat was doing because he saw that she was diabetic. I called him back to let him know she was in remission and that I in no small way attribute some of that success to the food. We had a rather lengthy conversation. Very good customer service. There is a discount code for first time buyers.
     
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  45. sherrib

    sherrib Well-Known Member

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    I will, thank you
     
  46. sherrib

    sherrib Well-Known Member

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    Mine are 11 ,so I need the same kind as you
     
    Last edited: Jan 26, 2017
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  47. JanetNJ

    JanetNJ Well-Known Member

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    I would have gotten the mature but two of mine were just under a year old.
     
  48. Yong & Maury GA

    Yong & Maury GA Well-Known Member

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    Jan 11, 2017
    Just to give you another price point from a new member, strictly food speaking, I'm about $55/ month or $1.83 / day for one kitty. :cat:

    Also, where are you buying your Friskies? I get mine from Walmart for $0.50 or $0.55 each, all the time. Even some grocery stores are around the same price, not on sale.
     
  49. Heather H

    Heather H New Member

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    Jan 24, 2017
    After the dry food I have for Frannie is done, I have to switch completely to dry food. She was getting what equaled to 1/3 twice a day, but it has cut back to once a day about midway through her wet food feedings times. I get the FF Classic variety pack and feed her a half can morning and night, but when her dry food is done it will be going to one can in AM and PM feedings (so 2 cans a day). At this time with only having to feed a can a day, the 24 can variety pack would last at least a month, a bit more because of only feeding 1 can split into two meals. Once the change has been made, it will last less. Depending on if I get a 24 or 30 can pack, it ranged anywhere from like 15 to 20 a month at the rate of what I fed her, but will be less now. I get mine at PetCo and if have the rewards deal there, they will have specials on buy one get one half off on those.
     
  50. Heather H

    Heather H New Member

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    Jan 24, 2017
    Oh and I had also read someone mentioning about giving their cats so many dry food pieces daily, they do have the Greenie treats that is suppose to help with dental as well, which Frannie also has Stage 1 Periodontal disease and has for the last year. I give her at least 5-6 a day spread out.
     
  51. Larry and Kitties

    Larry and Kitties Well-Known Member

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    I think you mean "wet/canned food" at the end of the sentence
     
  52. Heather H

    Heather H New Member

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    Yeah, I meant once her dry food is finished, she will be strictly on wet/canned food! Gah! Fingers going faster than I want them to!!
     
  53. StephG

    StephG Well-Known Member

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    Young Again makes treats too. They sent samples with the food I ordered and both cats LOVE them.
     
  54. JanetNJ

    JanetNJ Well-Known Member

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    Jun 8, 2016
    None of my 7 cats would eat the treats. I wound up giving them to the strays outside. 5 of my 7 love the food though. (1 is sensitive to pork and can't have it, and one doesn't eat any kibble at all).
     
  55. Adrian and Chino

    Adrian and Chino Well-Known Member

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    Dec 8, 2016
    A 12-can box of FF classic chicken currently costs $6.72 at Wal Mart. My cats go through 5 cans each day between the two of them, so it's $84 + tax ($89.88) for a 30-day month. For a while, it was cheaper to order from chewy.com, but their current price is $14.40 for a case of 24.
     
  56. Noah & me (GA)

    Noah & me (GA) Well-Known Member

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    On the theme of spending, Aviva meters is offering a new meter and 100 strips. The ONLY reason I switched was because they need so little blood as opposed to my old Bayer. I just got tired of error messages while Nigel sat there patiently waiting. This was in my Newbie days. Choose your meter wisely. To be clear, THIS IS A HUMAN METER and the website says available only in Canada.
    https://www.accu-chek.ca/en/microsi...e=google_cpc&gclid=CJSC0qub6tECFUW1wAodpisMyw
     
  57. Dyana

    Dyana Well-Known Member

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    Dec 28, 2009
    I'm not in Canada, but I am seeing "+100 Free Lancets".
     
  58. Noah & me (GA)

    Noah & me (GA) Well-Known Member

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    You could be in Canada. Bring your cats and something warm to wear, like a toque. Practice up on your "aboot" and knowing what a "Timmys" is, eh!
     
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  59. Dyana

    Dyana Well-Known Member

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    Dec 28, 2009
    I thought aboot it, because of this election. I love the cold weather, and my cats have jackets, scarves and booties for when they go for walks.
     
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  60. Noah & me (GA)

    Noah & me (GA) Well-Known Member

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    Dec 3, 2016
    We also have Glorious Leader!!! Don't forget your canoe, metric conversion calculator and French/English dictionary. j'aime mon chat, Aidez-moi! (I love my cat, help me!) Hey, who forgot to clean litière boîte!
     
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  61. Noah & me (GA)

    Noah & me (GA) Well-Known Member

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    Sorry, bad timing. I just watched the PM TV news now.
     
  62. Dyana

    Dyana Well-Known Member

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    What happened? Did they close the borders to Canada, now?
     
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  63. MélanieW

    MélanieW Member

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    Jan 4, 2017
    I'm in Canada and if things get too crazy I'm willing to adopt some of you :p

    But be ready... it's freezing cold right now and we have a LOT of snow. But free healthcare ;)
     
  64. MélanieW

    MélanieW Member

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    Jan 4, 2017
    And I spend WAY too much money on food. Noah doesn't want to eat any kind of wet food so freeze-dried raw it is. This stuff is pretty expensive.
     
  65. Mum of two felines

    Mum of two felines Member

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    Dec 7, 2015
    My son is planning a cross country trip across canada this coming September. He's excited to see a new country and I'm scared of him being in another country, lol.
     
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  66. Kris & Teasel

    Kris & Teasel Well-Known Member

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    Canada's pretty safe I'd say - speaking as a Canadian. :)
     
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  67. Noah & me (GA)

    Noah & me (GA) Well-Known Member

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    Dec 3, 2016
    I was just referring to the whackadoo shooting in Quebec. Crazy world but I'd agree it's pretty safe here.
     
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