Why spend on gifts for pets?
Who needs a fancy cat toy when you have a shiny ball of tinfoil rolling around the floor?
Who needs designer dog treats when there's an old pair of slippers sitting in your closet?
Everyone's trying to save a buck or two these days, but no one wants to forget about the family pet this holiday season. And no one wants to spend a fortune on Fido or Fluffy, either.
No worries - and little or no money needed to keep your pet happy and occupied on cold winter days. A little creativity can save a lot of money.
Just ask Libertyville resident Kari Gustafson, human to miniature dachshund Cooper. She treats her best friend to free toys lying around the house.
"We have old tennis balls he plays with," Gustafson said. "I put tennis balls in socks, and he gets into plastic bags all the time because they make noise. Crunching water bottles is another thing dogs like. Cooper can't get his mouth around one, though."
And while Gustafson does splurge on Cooper's favorite treat, rawhides, she frequents the 99 cent bin at Target to balance out the budget. She also gives her pup healthy food treats from around the house. Snacks like carrots, dried fruit, healthy cereal and blueberries are thrilling for Cooper and fit in the budget.
"Otherwise, Kleenex. He's always in the garbage pulling out Kleenex," she said.
If you'd rather not have your pet rifle through the trash for entertainment, there are some deals to be found at local pet stores in time for Christmas.
"We put things on clearance quite a bit," said Jon Gaudio, animal care specialist at Petco in Naperville. "Trust me, we all understand that the economy is hurting really bad. We have extremely good deals. Our prices are always pretty low. We always have chewers, hard rubber toys, something someone can afford."
Gaudio suggests Kongs for cats or dogs, starting at $2.49. Hide treats in these chew toys, he says, and you've created instant happiness for your canine or feline.
But Gaudio's two cats, Sweety and Gray Guy, would rather play with the free toys around the house than anything he could purchase at the store.
"My cats are more interested in tinfoil balls and milk jug seal rings," he said. "You can tie a string to it, and they'd rather play with that or something sitting around the house."
"I buy something (for them to play with), and they think, 'What is this?'" laughed Gaudio, who found his 8-week-old kittens in a bag outside Meijer. "Stuff around the house saves you money."
Creativity can save money, too. Kids can be the thriftiest pet owners by making toys for their dog or cat.
Elise Horbach, 8, and her sister Aubrey, 6, make toys for their dog Petey, a rat terrier/bichon frise mix.
"We thought of a good idea," said Elise, of Rolling Meadows. "We thought we could have two old socks and tie them together and it could be a tug of war for Petey. I thought of tying of them together."
Elise and Aubrey also give their dog old tennis balls to play with, but this year they bought him one special gift for Christmas.
"A stuffed animal fox that my dad got," Elise said. "Petey tries to look at it, but it's in his stocking."
But ultimately, pets don't know the difference between a $10 posh toy and homemade holiday gifts.
"Old ripped up T-shirts make Cooper happy, because he can chew on them," Gustafson said. "But he also likes shoes. He chewed up a pair of my heels. Only the expensive ones, of course."