Cheapest place to buy Wellness?

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KKL

KKL

Member Since 2013
Ok, now that I have all three of my cats eating wet food my expenses have darn near tripled. I give all three Wellness Turkey. I like to feed the 12.5oz can because I can get it for $2.88 a can. Every week we get a few $2/off $20 coupons on our grocery bill to a local store PLUS our store discount. Of course this means I can only get 7 cans per visit (per coupon) and add in state tax (only 6% here in Michigan). We still are looking at quite a large bill each month.

Has anyone found a good source to get food for less online? I'll have to figure out exactly what I am paying per can with the coupon plus the membership discount. We still seem to be running about $90/month in wet food.
 
Re: Cheapest wet food source?

Friskies 13 oz can $0.78 ea at Columbus Walmart is $0.06 / oz, much less than the Wellness.

I had to switch because feeding 14 cats, I couldn't afford the Wellness.
 
Re: Cheapest wet food source?

Wow! 14 that's a lot of mouths to feed :)

I've got 3 cats, 2 100lb dogs and had a special needs horse that passed away a month ago...until then all six were on special diets :)

I have fed the wellness because of all three of my cat's medical backgrounds:
One is a hard keeper with Hyperthyroid/Crystals/Stomach sensitivity, the other two with a history of Pancreatitis/Cholangiohepatitis/Hepatic Lipidosis...and now one of these two is diabetic :( So I am leery to rock the boat and change foods now that we have everyone relatively stable...how far apart is the nutrition between the two? nailbite_smile
 
Re: Cheapest wet food source?

I wouldn't want to rock the boat with three special needs cats either! Hard enough finding a food they all will eat, and handle ok with their different conditions. Phew! The big difference in the composition of the two foods is that the Wellness contains higher quality protein (muscle meat vs. byproducts), which is good for senior cats since most have some sort of loss of kidney function. Wellness Turkey is a great food for seniors because it's high quality protein and low in phosphorus, which helps save strain on the kidneys. And it also has the advantage of being low carb. :-D

Have you looked at Amazon subscribe & save? It's 26.49 (+free shipping if you have a prime account), which makes it about $2.22 a can. http://www.amazon.com/Wellness-Canned-Food-12-Pack-2-Ounce/dp/B000WFN0SC/?tag=felinediabetesfdmb-20

One thing that also helps is to put your budget into perspective a bit. I was floored at first with the cost of switching both my cats to canned food--until about year later when I sat down, took a look at the prior year's budget and expenses and I realized I actually wasn't spending that much more than I was buying dry food. It just seemed that way because the initial cost of the food seemed more expensive. Where I started seeing huge savings was in litter and vet bills, and when I figured those in, I was actually lower in my cat expenses from the prior year.
 
Re: Cheapest wet food source?

They are both low carb.
I believe the Wellness is a tad higher in fat.
Friskies probably uses more meat by-products than Wellness.

Last fall, I also had a problem with some batches of Wellness making some of my cats sick (vomiting). I narrowed it down to a specific production plant and let Wellness corporate know. They sent me a $20 coupon.
 
Re: Cheapest wet food source?

Good to know, I'll have to check into Amazon....

I probably should have started off saying that I had "problem children" LOL. After tube feeding 2 cats at the same time (every 2 hours) for 8 weeks I am very gun shy about food...as long as one isn't vomiting, having diarrhea, crystals/blockages and the other two aren't yellow I am happy!! :)

Yes, the lessor vet bills/litter would be a cost benefit. I am just overlooking that right now because the start up expense of Harley being newly dx diabetic between the vet bill, insulin, needles, test strips, etc. I am sure that will be less obvious in a while.

On another note, this prompts me to start another question...best cost effective litter? We've been using Fresh Step Scoopable Litter ($20 for a 42lb bag). With one hyperthyroid cat and a the other a not yet regulated diabetic we have been going through a LOT of litter the last few months...there was one week both cats saturated all three litter boxes :(
 
Re: Cheapest wet food source?

KKL said:
...there was one week both cats saturated all three litter boxes :(
Click to expand...

Ummmm .... are you scooping daily?

You might find that a non-absorbent litter sitting over a filter over a tray with absorbent pad (or going into a drain)- ex Breeze - migh work better for you until there is a reduction in pee.

World's Best Cat litter is much lighter than clay, though you may still use a lot. If you have a Tractor Supply or Farm and Feed store nearby, they have chicken feed of ground up corn, etc, that may be less costly.

Alternatively, if you use a non-clumping litter, there is less mud, more crumbles. You could put layers of newspaper underneath to trap the moisture until you empty the box.

Feline Pine has a litterbox that allows the used litter to sift through to a chamber below for removal here.
 
Re: Cheapest wet food source?

I should have said it differently...we went through three 42lb bags of litter in one week when both were peeing a lot. The urine has come down significantly, but still is more than it was before both came down with their ailments.

All good thoughts though, I'll pass them on to the "litter coordinator" (my husband).
 
Re: Cheapest wet food source?

Hadn't seen the breeze before...has anyone here used the system, what are the thoughts??? We are spending $60-$120 on litter a month as it is for 3 litter boxes and there is DUST and general clay litter smell in the basement.
 
Re: Cheapest wet food source?

Do you toss out all the litter each week or scoop frequently and clean the sides of the box with vinegar/ water solution or a bleach/water solution?

I haven't tossed out all my litter for about 2 years now. I scoop frequently 4-6 times a day. If I have to use the bathroom, I figure the litter boxes probably need to be scooped. Keep the litter deep 3-4 inches. Use the 50% vinegar/water solution in a spray bottle along with some paper towels to clean off the litter caked to the bottom and sides. Add more litter as the level goes down.

I got this method from Dr. Lisa Pierson's website a couple of years ago. The litter box. She even has a video, though the quality is not the greatest.

You need a good clumping litter to use this method.

we went through three 42lb bags of litter in one week when both were peeing a lot
Click to expand...
:o :shock: :o :shock:
 
Re: Cheapest wet food source?

My husband cleans out the litter pretty much every day. Usually once every two to four weeks (depending on usage) he "overhauls" the boxes. Which means he empties them, sprays them down with enzyme cleaner and then replaces the litter.

There was a point when our elder boy started peeing a lot and found he had a thyroid issue, when we switched the meds he started having diarrhea too. It was a mess...this was about the time Harley started showing symptoms (which happened at the same time so we didn't realize it was both peeing a lot). That week the litter didn't have a chance :(

It clumps well, but quite dusty as a result. Very intrigued with he Breeze...I was just thinking over the last few weeks "if only there was a way the urine could pass through the bottom" and here it is! :)
 
Re: Cheapest wet food source?

You might rig a less expensive, but similar version using some PVC pipe and mesh, with your litterbox.

Use small mesh if you use non-absorbent litter and are putting a pad of something underneath; larger mesh if you want it to sift clumped litter and debris (have a container to dump it in).
 
Re: Cheapest wet food source?

I have a Breeze. I also have 2 other regular litter boxes because she likes them better but she will use the Breeze once in a while. I do not put a pad in it so that when she does use it I can test the pee in the tray for Keytones. She will not use it enough for me to test Keytone every week so I've been using another method that Sue and Oliver told me about and for me this works like a charm. I replace the litter in one box with aquarium gravel. Its just like litter but will not absorb the pee. When I'm done I just pour the gravel into a pair of pantyhose and rinse them off and set them outside until they are dry. I just reuse them over and over again.
The pads for the Breeze are pricy and if they use it to poop in then its going to be hard to clean. I'm sooo glad that CL has never pooped in it however when she had a UTI and used the Breeze it was a horrible mess to clean. Kinda gave me the idea how hard it would be to clean a poop out of it.
I was using a lot of the pads and then I got the idea not to put one in the tray and just clean the tray. I take the tray to the tolit and dump the pee out and wash the tray and put it back.
I like it in a lot of ways and then I dont like it in others. I guess thats why I have it and also keep 2 regular ones. The best of both worlds!!
Hope this input helps!
 
Re: Cheapest wet food source?

For litter, if your cats will use it you can get wood pellets from Tractor Supply. They have it in Michigan. I used to live there and I believe the 40lb bags run around $5. Probably the cheapest litter available other then the dirt outside your house. I just get rid of the poop in the toilet and dump the boxes after the pellets all turn to sawdust. It requires very little work. Some people sift the powder out but if your cats pee a lot then it is just a waste of time. It is exactly the same as Feline Pine but much cheaper. But I know some cats don't like the smell. I switched to it because I had a cat that ate every other kind of litter. Best decision ever. I spent $17 on 4 bags at the beginning of May here in Utah and I just barely opened the 2nd bag. So my cat litter budget is almost non existent. I liked the clumping litter because it was easy but it's a waste of money if your cats will use this kind.


I would feed my cats Friskies over Wellness because I only care about carbs now but they hate Friskies. So that's out. They waste so much food it's depressing. I really wish dry food wasn't bad for cats :(
 
Re: Cheapest wet food source?

Agreed, it's tough on the budget...but the amount I have spent on vet bills in the last 4 years for all six of my animals is staggering...I could have bought a new truck :(

Funny, the wood pellets, are you talking about "woody pet"? That's what we use at the barn for the horses, love that stuff!! And yes, the barn cat prefers it to his litterbox in the tack room. I'll have to bring some home and give it a try.
 
Re: Cheapest wet food source?

You know the pellets for those type of pellet wood burning stoves? My cat shelter uses that for litter.
 
Re: Cheapest wet food source?

Yeah it's used as horse bedding too. I had trouble finding it in Utah but people have horses in Utah so I knew it had to be somewhere. After some digging online I found a place. It was kind of weird, not like Tractor Supply but at least I found something. Here is a link pellets from Tractor Supply
They will help you with the bags too if you need it. 40 pounds is quite a bit. Bringing them up to my apartment in 100 degree weather is a real treat.

It is $5.49 for a 40lb bag in Portage. Probably not much different in other cities. I know they don't have Tractor Supply everywhere but most places have horses and stoves. If anyone lives in Utah the place I found is called Arbor Pellets. They have 40lb bags for $4. My vet bills have been crazy lately too so saving elsewhere is great. One of my cats protested against the pellets for awhile by pooping on the floor while I was looking but she got used to it.
 
Re: Cheapest wet food source?

In regards to Friskies, I have thought of mixing with Wellness to help bring down cost. The Turkey wellness is 4 carbs, what Friskies do you feed?? I went to the pet store yesterday to get more cat food and took a peek, there are TONS
 
Re: Cheapest wet food source?

Wellness costs more than Friskies, in general. I had to shift from Wellness to Friskies when my population increased to 15! Just couldn't keep spending that much. (we did adopt 1 out; now need to adopt out another couple :smile:)
 
Re: Cheapest wet food source?

The Friskies Turkey&Giblet and Supreme Supper pate style are 8% carbs. I buy them in the big 13 ounce size to save a bit more. Also Flaked Tuna in Sauce, Tuna and Egg in Sauce are both 8%. If you can find any of the Friskies Special flavors, those are between 4 and 7% carbs . I've never had any luck locating them in my local stores.
 
Re: Cheapest wet food source?

I did the math on how much I require (I did post a different question in here regarding quality vs name) but the math is adding up to $1644 in JUST wet food for our three. That is a big number right now.

The other issue we run into is the only place that sells the Wellness 12.5 cans has odd hours. I did find that our local 24hr Walmart sells Friskies Classic Pate Cat Food, Poultry Platter, 13 oz for about $1....how many carbs does that run I wonder? Also if we got into a pinch we can get it a lot easier than we can now...
 
Re: Cheapest wet food source?

I'm feeding 14 adult cats.
0.78 / 13 oz can of Friskies Turkey and Giblets
8 cans per day
$ 6.24 daily
$ 43.68 weekly
$2,271.36 annually
 
Re: Cheapest wet food source?

Ouch!! Yep, I've got 6 mouths to feed...3 cats, 2 100lb dogs and a horse...ALL requiring special diets. BUT I love my kids!! :) :mrgreen:
 
Re: Cheapest wet food source?

Ouch!! Yep, I've got 6 mouths to feed...3 cats, 2 100lb dogs and a horse...ALL requiring special diets. BUT I love my kids!! :) :mrgreen:
 
I buy Tiki Cat canned food from Chewy.com and get a discount for setting up an auto-order. This food is really expensive but all my kitties really like it and there are no by-products. This is the only way I can afford it.

Checking chewy.com is a good idea.
 
I just ordered Wellness online from USBones.com

You can select a charity - like Diabetic Cats in Need

It ships out of Chicago, so shipping to SE Michigan is not too bad.

My local store (in Plymouth) has a price of $2.69 per can with a 6% case discount. $32.28 - $1.94 = $30.34

USBones charges $23.40 per case

So for 4 cases of Wellness:
$93.60
$20.17 Shipping (Chicago to NW Detroit suburb)
--------
$113.77 total to USBones Delivered to my front porch
-$23.40 donation to DCIN
Net total = $90.37

4 cases at local store: $30.34 * 4 = $121.36 and I have to carry it to my house from my car

So I saved about $8 AND a nice donation went to DCIN of $23.40 (in theory -- Perhaps Venita can confirm?)
 
How about raw food following Dr. Lisa?
I started this about 2 years ago...biggest expense was the grinder...grinder still going strong. Started off with baby jars for freezing from craigs list. To larger plastic bowls with bigger amounts in them to freeze and now to mason jars to freeze... supplements friskies
 
Raw food is a good idea, but it is not really cheap either and you need to have a good freezer.

That is the big sticking point for us -- tiny condo with no place to put a good chest freezer and our old refrigerator is barely adequate for a little people food. No room for 20-30 lb batches of cat food, and I don't want to make 5 lb batches every week.
 
I agree.. not sure how cheap Dr. Pierson's Raw Food diet is. I too made the grinder investment and have been making it for a while but I can only make a week's worth at a time because I don't have the counter space or storage. It's costs me about $25 a week and I have to subsidize with canned food - but I do think it is the best thing I could ever do for my cats. So for me, the cost of raw is in addition to the cost of buying cat food. But I know that if it came down to sacrificing in order to keep my cats... I would be at Walmart buying all the FF and Friskies I could with coupons.
 
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