low income any advice

kittylove14

TCS Member
Thread starter
Adult Cat
Joined
Oct 21, 2016
Messages
185
Purraise
52
Location
Somewhere upstate
I am helping a friend who has low income housing and has a feline companion. he had a stroke and he doesn't get out that often but he does get lower budget cat food.
i buy him good litter and i do this because i think in the long run it saves money (no dumping required). but in terms of food he has asked me for the cans and i have given him slabs of cans. but i'm trying to figure out a more sustainable option for him.
i'm tapped out with my now 6 cats as it is in the food budget. i buy my cans at 50 cents or less for the larger cans i think 5.5 oz.
i'm not sure what he can do in that regard.
when i gave the cans to him i think he fed the cat with them exclusively. he may need to try to do what i do-few times a week in the morning.
any thoughts would be helpful! i try to help where i can but just figuring out costs :).
 

hbunny

Cat herder - Pooper Scooper
Super Cat
Joined
Feb 10, 2016
Messages
1,190
Purraise
210
Location
West Tennessee
A friend of mine goes to "bent can" stores, I think it's called a salvage grocery store, and buys up all their Fancy Feast rejects and gets them for $0.10 to $0.15 cents a can.  If you have one of those stores in your area check it out.  I don't have one near me unfortunately or I'd be doing it for sure.  She gets really good brands too sometimes, just the cans are dented.  Also ask at Petco and Petsmart if you have one near you about anything they have that is cheaper, they sometimes have damaged stuff they sell cheaper--at least they do here at the store nearest me.

I've pretty much found it is about $0.50 a can no matter where I shop, either Walmart, Target, on Chewy.com, or anywhere, unless it is a flavor that is less popular and they are trying to get rid of it.  You might try checking on Chewy.com because I see the Friskies pate flavors a lot for cheap by the case.

Do you think he would be willing to give like half a can in the morning and half a can in the evening, so he is only going through a can a day, supplemented by dry?  A case would last 24 days that way.
 

orange&white

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Aug 22, 2008
Messages
8,420
Purraise
9,669
Location
Texas
The cheapest canned food will be healthier for the cat in long run than any kibble.  On a "poverty budget", cheap kibble is all some people can afford, and at least the cat has a home.  If you can swing it, the "Special Kitty" canned food from WalMart is $1.00 for a 22 oz can and is the cheapest per ounce that I know of, and a can could probably stretch for 3 days if the cat isn't young and really active.  I think my regional grocery also has a 22 oz house brand that is $1.00-1.20 per can.   It's mainly meat or poultry "by-products", but no grain, and low in indigestible carbohydrates or fillers.

It's very nice of you to help your friend out.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #5

kittylove14

TCS Member
Thread starter
Adult Cat
Joined
Oct 21, 2016
Messages
185
Purraise
52
Location
Somewhere upstate
Thank you guys. I forgot about those large cans I will have to get him lids for saving.
I think he could stretch a case if he knew how, I did give him some clearance broths that the cat licks the water out of. I'll keep my eye out scratch and dent,clearance, sale cans, coupons- variety is the spice of life right? unfortunately dry food is way different and cats will go on a hunger strike to avoid change. Hopefully he can sustain that aspect himself though. It's only one cat so I do what I can to support him :)
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #8

kittylove14

TCS Member
Thread starter
Adult Cat
Joined
Oct 21, 2016
Messages
185
Purraise
52
Location
Somewhere upstate
that reminds me I actually had bought a bunch with multi colors. but not multi fit how cool!
 

orange&white

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Aug 22, 2008
Messages
8,420
Purraise
9,669
Location
Texas
I'm sure the silicone is better, but the large can of can food is going to last 24-48 hours after it's opened.  Refrigerated at or below 40, I wouldn't worry about bacteria overgrowth.

Anyway, the silicone real benefit I see, is that it can be reused indefinitely, unlike foil.  The friend just needs to be instructed to wash the lid(s) regularly (versus throwing foil in the trash and using a new piece).
 

1CatOverTheLine

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Feb 6, 2017
Messages
8,674
Purraise
34,611
Originally Posted by Orange&White  

Refrigerated at or below 40, I wouldn't worry about bacteria overgrowth.
I'd certainly worry; Listeria monocytogenes is psychrotrophic and can grow and continue to produce flagellates well below freezing.

.

.
 

orange&white

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Aug 22, 2008
Messages
8,420
Purraise
9,669
Location
Texas
Yes, well, depending on the area of the brain and severity of the stroke, KittyLove14's friend may or may not remember to put any lid on the can, or even put the opened can in the refrigerator.  I'll not quibble any longer over cat food can lids.  Carry on!
 

margd

Chula and Paul's roommate
Veteran
Joined
Feb 24, 2015
Messages
15,669
Purraise
7,838
Location
Maryland USA
I spent years saving unused cans of catfood in the refrigerator by covering them with plastic wrap or aluminum foil held on by rubber bands.  I bought the silicone covers for convenience and never considered that they might also be safer.  After reading about the possibility of Listeria remaining biologically active in refrigerators, I checked it out. 

This is a real danger - although rare, listeria does infect cats and it can reproduce in refrigerated foods.  Consumers are even advised to keep uncooked meat, seafood and poultry separted in refrigerators from produce, cooked foods and ready-to-eat foods to minimize chances of transmission.  https://www.foodsafety.gov/poisoning/causes/bacteriaviruses/listeria/   While common sense may tell us that foil covering an open can for 24 -36 hours is sufficient to keep uneaten cat food safe, it is worth noting that air tight covers are needed to guarantee safety from listeria.

I'm just putting the information out there - it certainly was enough to make me glad that I'd purchased silicone cat food covers. 

In terms of someone with a stroke being inclined to forget to use the covers, it seems to me that such a person would be equally inclined to forget to use aluminum foil so that ensuring lids are adequately washed is their only drawback.
 
Last edited:

orange&white

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Aug 22, 2008
Messages
8,420
Purraise
9,669
Location
Texas
In terms of someone with a stroke being inclined to forget to use the covers, it seems to me that such a person would be equally inclined to use aluminum foil so that ensuring lids are adequately washed is their only drawback.
Exactly.  We're all just here to help KittyLove help her friend, which is the most important issue at hand.

I've had two friends who have had strokes.  One of them rehabilitated enough to go back to work as a high-level chief economist, so his mathematical skills were unharmed, but after the stroke he would put dishes in the refrigerator and groceries in the dish cabinet.
 

margd

Chula and Paul's roommate
Veteran
Joined
Feb 24, 2015
Messages
15,669
Purraise
7,838
Location
Maryland USA
 
Exactly.  We're all just here to help KittyLove help her friend, which is the most important issue at hand.

I've had two friends who have had strokes.  One of them rehabilitated enough to go back to work as a high-level chief economist, so his mathematical skills were unharmed, but after the stroke he would put dishes in the refrigerator and groceries in the dish cabinet.
Oh dear.  I'm afraid that my bad editing skills have caught up with me.  That sentence should have read:   In terms of someone with a stroke being inclined to forget to use the covers, it seems to me that such a person would be equally inclined to forget to use aluminum foil.  My computer has been giving me fits today.  I'm sorry - you may not agree with that sentence now.  However, you are quite right that we are all here to help KittyLove14 help her friend.  And it is also true that stroke victims can be left with quirks that don't make a lot of sense so it may not be possible to predict their behavior (which I did, of course.)
 
Last edited:

orange&white

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Aug 22, 2008
Messages
8,420
Purraise
9,669
Location
Texas
No, no.  I knew that you meant that the friend may forget either lid (which was my point earlier) as well as the possibility of forgetting to put the can in the fridge.  I'd be slightly more concerned with the type of lid if the friend was eating the canned cat food and feeding the cat only kibble.  Anyway, KittyLove said she'd forgotten that she already had a lot of silicone lids available, so that problem is solved.
 

destinyz12

TCS Member
Alpha Cat
Joined
Sep 5, 2016
Messages
477
Purraise
1,204
Location
Long Island, NY
@Margd- In relation to the air tight sealing to prevent bacteria, I don't have those fitted lids, but to store my refrigerated cat food I use an empty plastic container that is a little bit bigger than the can of cat food and put the can inside of it with the lid sealed onto the container....do you think this is still just as effective as the fitted can lids or would this be not as effective for preventing bacteria?
 

margd

Chula and Paul's roommate
Veteran
Joined
Feb 24, 2015
Messages
15,669
Purraise
7,838
Location
Maryland USA
 
@Margd- In relation to the air tight sealing to prevent bacteria, I don't have those fitted lids, but to store my refrigerated cat food I use an empty plastic container that is a little bit bigger than the can of cat food and put the can inside of it with the lid sealed onto the container....do you think this is still just as effective as the fitted can lids or would this be not as effective for preventing bacteria?
Just guessing here, I would think it would be just as effective.  It prevents any kind of transmission from other infected foods and that is the main issue.  Listeria can survive with or without oxygen so limiting oxygen content won't make a difference.   It's really a matter of keeping what's outside, out.  Your set-up does that as far as I can tell.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #20

kittylove14

TCS Member
Thread starter
Adult Cat
Joined
Oct 21, 2016
Messages
185
Purraise
52
Location
Somewhere upstate
Getting back on topic here, kittylove14 kittylove14 , have you had any luck finding food that will work?
i'll check back in with him, he does have a small supply for now from me.
i can certainly give him covers thank you all for your consideration on this.
if it's too hard for him to remember the lids we can go with small cans just not cost effective.
Somewhat of a tangent but i wish broth was cheaper- the cat likes the broth and those tiny packets are expensive. Need like a bulk broth!
 
Top