But I hadn't figured out how much pet food I needed for the same amount of time. I hate to say it, but I only plan to store six months worth of dog food at a time because my Yorkies are getting up there in age. At 13 - 14 years each (I never knew their exact birth dates), they already have had long lives. Both are healthy, but Jessie Jane has slowed down considerably and Lily is prone to catching colds or coming down with other doggie related health problems. They may fool me, though. My last Cocker Spaniel lived to the ripe old age of 16.
Anyway, the last time I bought dog and cat food, I got small bags of each. I kept track of how long each bag lasted to give me an idea of how much to buy before winter sets in. I wound up shivering at the bus stop more than once last winter just because I was low on their food. Not gonna happen this winter.
What I discovered was that, pound for pound of food, Kizzie the cat consumes as much as both dogs put together.
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I wonder if they make exercise machines for cats.
We have a 16lb or more bag of dry cat food that lasts 30 days or longer for 3 tomcats. They each get a can of moist about every 3 days or so. Our 3 boys are indoor only, they may go out on the deck when the door is open but that's about as far as the wife and kids let them go. the weather has been great. I saw a couple of trees starting to turn...WAY too early. You know what that means??? i sent you an email. Rob
ReplyDeleteRob...Kizzie is strictly an indoor cat, too. She wouldn't last 10 minutes in my neighborhood before a car would run over her. She has lost a little weight since that picture was taken, but she will probably always be a fat lazy cat.
ReplyDeleteThe first trees here to turn are the ones planted along the sidewalks, and they are starting to have a yellow tinge to the leaves. Everywhere I turn I hear folks talking about the fact that we are going to have another bad winter. I'm spending this weekend canning meat and butter and next week the dehydrators will get a workout. I don't want to leave the house once it starts to snow!!
Go to hone depot or Lowes and buy their 5 gallon buckets, and purchase the gamma lids. I keep dog and cat food stored like that. Another idea for long term storage would be to seal food inside mylar bags with oxygen eaters.
ReplyDeleteJUGM...Thanks for the tip. I've got lots of buckets with good lids. There is a little Mom & Pop bakery in the next block that sells them to me for $1 each. They even scrub them out for me. I haven't tried the mylar bags with oxygen absorbers as yet because I store all my dehydrated food in canning jars. I may have to check into using them, tho.
ReplyDeleteIt is because of the advanced age of my pooches that I don't want to store more than 6 months of their food. I store more than that for the cat who is younger. If I run low on dog food I can make some to tide them over from my supplies. It may sound harsh, but the hard fact is that old dogs die. My storage space is limited at best, so I really don't want to store that much dog food as when these fur buddies of mine are gone I have no plans to get any more. I have physical limitations that I fear might make it difficult to take care of any more animals, even though I love having them. Wouldn't be fair to them.
I hadn't thought of animal food...
ReplyDeleteDoes JJ never go outside to catch mice ot stalk birds?
Dani...My cat never goes outdoors. I live in the downtown area of a city suburb. There are stores beneath my apartment and on all sides and there is street traffic. There is a four-lane highway a block away. She wouldn't last 10 minutes in that environment. In almost 18 years of living in this apartment, I have never seen signs of mice. She wouldn't know a mouse if she saw one!
ReplyDeleteYears ago when I lived in the country and had cats, they were outside most of the time. Not so much in winter. But Kizzie is a city cat, I'm afraid. I wish it were different, but alas, it is not. At one time she was a lab cat - one that vet students practiced on, giving shots and exams, etc. I figure that even if she doesn't go outdoors, she is better off with me than where she was.
My hens love oats. I either sprinkle them to get them into the pen or just give them a ration. In the winter, they love cooked oats still warm with a little salt, butter, and a large helping of some sort of fat. A spoon of bacon fat sometimes.
ReplyDeleteThey go out to forage or I bring their greens to them. Since I love Quaker Old Fashioned Oats, the hens always have plenty. This winter I am going to grown some sort of greens for them and sprouts.
They always get some meat from bones or from pieces I share.
Pets covered!
Linda...Sounds like you have all bases covered. I'll bet you have some of the most well fed and happiest hens for miles around!
ReplyDeleteGreat thinkin!
ReplyDeleteMary...My storage space is so limited that I just don't have a place to store lots of 25 lb. bags of pet food so this seemed to be a good solution. I wish I could get Kizzie to take her head out of the food dish once in a while, but she gets frantic if her bowl is only half full! She has lost a little bit since that picture was taken. Guess I'd rather have her fat and happy than skinny and miserable.
ReplyDelete