Online pet shops or good pet shops in Dublin

Gadeia

Hi everyone!
We are adopting a new kitten in two weeks! I cant wait to have the little one at home and star enjoying and taking care of him. But to be able to do that I need to start getting all the gear, food, bowls, litter... and specially the scratching post!
I was thinking of just going to the petshop that is closer to our apartment and get everything there, but after having a look to different online shops and websites it seem that prices, quality and service vary a lot and dont know where to start...
It seems that ordering to the UK can make everything a bit cheaper, and as i have time, it looks like a good idea, but then the delivery charges put the prices up again...
Can someone give some advice and share their experiences about this?
Thanks a lot

Lima Golf

I normally do my pet shopping in bulk in Jollyes in newry. Even at the moment with sterling so strong, it's still substantially cheaper. I'm often in newry for other reasons, so it suits me but I doubt it's worth a long drive up for you!

If I'm running low on items I shop online at pet bliss. Reasonably priced, extremely quick delivery, 2 days 3 tops. Also they have regular sales, 17% off paddys weekend, 10% off Easter weekend etc. Check it out and see what you think.

I've shopped in a pet store in blanchardstown, it's near KFC by the shopping centre I think. An unbelievable selection but I found it VERY EXPENSIVE!

builttospill

Hi Gadeia.

I have mentioned Animal Farmacy on this forum before. They have a shop just over the road from where I live in Kilkenny where they provide everything under the one roof ie vet/supplies/food/toys for all animals. They also have an online store that delivers which they say is the largest in Ireland.

Their website is www.animalfarmacy.ie

I buy all my cat food and supplies there as they seem to be cheaper than anyone else in the area.

MaryK666

Hi Gadeia,
I divide most of my shopping for my 5 cats between zooplus online and Maxizoo in Maynooth.
If you're shopping on zooplus, it's a good idea to check the .ie site along with the .de site and the .co.uk site as prices can vary enormously but if you order a lot of stuff, delivery is free over a certain amount and it's often cheaper to buy in bulk and have it delivered right to your door.

I find Maxizoo cheaper for some things and don't be afraid to haggle over the price if you're spending a large amount of money in Maxizoo (I know - I'm a cheapskate) as you'll save money that way.

Getting a new kitten is going to be an exciting time for you - and your kitten - but remember, kittens are really demons in cute fluffy form. They chew things, they claw furniture and carpets, they climb curtains and anything else they can climb, they demand attention, they track cat litter everywhere and are always into everything and anything that happens in your home. But the reward of seeing them grow into beautiful, affectionate, confident adults can't be put into words.

My only advice is to give your kitten the best you can afford when it comes to food and cat litter (cheaper options can be a false economy), invest in at least one tall scratching post, get pet insurance and get to know a good vet.

Oh and don't forget to post pics once the new arrival has settled in.

tk123

I posted this voucher in A&P Bargain Alerts yesterday for zooplus.co.uk for kitten and puppy stuff :

For all you proud owners of a new puppy or kitten:

Here’s an EXCLUSIVE coupon code for an EXTRA £3 off everything in the puppy & kitten departments!

Food, toys, treats and more... Valid For 2 DAYS Only!

Enter Coupon Code: TINYPAWS at the checkout to redeem your discount.

Gadeia

Thanks a lot for all the answers, now is time to sit down and start comparing prices, but you made it so much easier! I'll keep an eye on the A&P Bargain Alerts too from here on.

Millem

Gadeia wrote: »

Hi everyone!
We are adopting a new kitten in two weeks! I cant wait to have the little one at home and star enjoying and taking care of him. But to be able to do that I need to start getting all the gear, food, bowls, litter... and specially the scratching post!
I was thinking of just going to the petshop that is closer to our apartment and get everything there, but after having a look to different online shops and websites it seem that prices, quality and service vary a lot and dont know where to start...
It seems that ordering to the UK can make everything a bit cheaper, and as i have time, it looks like a good idea, but then the delivery charges put the prices up again...
Can someone give some advice and share their experiences about this?
Thanks a lot

For a special treat I love www.mollys.ie it is in dun laoghaire they have fab stuff, i would consider it pricey but staff are so helpful and you will find things there that you cant get elsewhere. Usually I use zooplus for food, medicanimal, vetuk or nutrecare for wormers & flea/tick treatments.

Gadeia

Just spent almost 200 quid in zooplus, a good starter pack i'd say Now i hope the kitten likes everything!

MaryK666

That's a good starter pack alright

Looking forward to seeing pics of the new arrival.

Gadeia

Here the pictures of the little one! He is loving all his toys, and his food and especially his bed! He is really good, he doesnt cry at all at night! He is not drinking much, but i suppose its ok while he is eating wet food...

MaryK666

He's absolutely adorable. I think I'm in love.
He'll be fine as long as he's on the wet food and drinking a little too. Just remember to keep a bowl of nice, cool - but not too cold - fresh, drinking water nearby and change it regularly to ensure it stays fresh. Keep an eye on him to make sure he's happy and playful and bright-eyed and if there's any change, get him to the vets, especially while he's so young.
As long as you have food appropriate to his age he should come on in leaps and bounds and in a few weeks you won't recognise him as the same kitten in the pics you posted. Try to feed the best quality food you can afford and you should be ok and, if possible, avoid the mass-produced pouches which cats can find so addictive but don't actually do them any good.
I can't wait to see his progress as he's just the sweetest little man.

Gadeia

We got the whiskas pouches to start with coz the rescue centre recommend me that and now I'm regretting it, he's waking up at 6 and crying for more! What do they put in those pouches!!! Today he has his first check up with the vet and I'll get a better one that he recommend coz this is crazy. He's drinking a little now and if playful is healthy he is too healthy, he can play with his shadow!

MaryK666

Unfortunately, pouches like Whiskas and Felix are like a drug to cats because they contain so many preservatives, sugars and other things and it can be hard to wean a cat/kitten off them once they get started.
I'd have a chat with your vet and see what he recommends but it will be important to make sure that, during any change in food, your kitten keeps eating and drinking because if they stop, they can go downhill very quickly when they're young.

I got a painfully thin rescue kitten a few months ago with a very dodgy tummy bug and full of worms but I started him on kitten kibble with some very high quality tinned food as a supplement. My other cats were all falling over themselves trying to get to the wet food and he had to be fed separately at meal times - which was fun. Once he got back to his normal weight (and a bit more for good luck) and was neutered, I weaned him off the wet food and he's just on kibble now and doing great. He also now gets what the others get - some cooked chicken, raw fish and chicken wing tips as treats - which he loves, and he's a happy healthy little boy.

Being playful means you have a happy, healthy kitty and most kittens spend all their time either playing, eating or sleeping so that's a really good sign. If he's the only cat/kitten in the house he'll need company, stimulation and lots of one-to-one time with you - especially as he's growing. The more you bond with him now, the happier he'll be and play is an important part of that bonding process.
It's also important for him to get used to being handled.
That way he'll learn that it's ok for you to check him over and it's not scary for someone to pick him up and check his feet, his nails, between his toes, in his ears and look at his teeth and gums. But as everything with cats, take it slowly and gently and if he gets scared, just stop and give him plenty of reassurance and cuddles.

It sounds like you're doing great so far and have a happy little boy.

zef

He is absolutely the cutest kitty , thanks for sharing the pics, love his fluffy bed!
I refer to the whiskas pouches as 'kitty crack'. Cats be crazy for them. I am guilty of giving them the odd one & keep for emergencies (like to coax my indoor cat in if she gets out) , but they mostly eat royal canin.
I've tried a few & it's the one they prefer. I think it's better for them to be on a quality dry food & water & hope your vet can advise a good brand. Some vet surgeries do Hills Science plan, there are a few decent brands out there. Good luck

Gadeia

Thanks for all the good advise! We went to the vet yesterday and he weights only 500g! I knew he was little but heard the number shocked me a little. She recommend us the weaning royal canin. Yesterday I mixed it with whiskas and he didn't seem to have eaten anything but the wishkas. But this morning I put just the kibble with warm water to soften it a little and he ate almost all! So I'll try to get some good wet food to supplement it but no more "kitty crack".
The good thing is that the vet said he is healthy and we just need to help him gain weight and get stronger
She also told us that kittens that have been abandoned by their mums tend to be bossy and god knows he is! From 5.30 am he cries every hour to see if we want to get up and play with him... Hope that stops as we ignore him and before the neighbours complain...

MaryK666

Sounds like you're doing things perfectly and he won't be long putting on the weight. Do you feed him at regular times or does he free-feed? Kittens need to be fed a lot more often that an adult cat in order for them to grow and put on weight so it's no harm to feed him more regularly while he's growing. Little and often is the way to go and he'll soon start to thrive on several small meals a day. Once he starts to put on weight in a few weeks time, you can leave longer between feeding times.

Where does he sleep at night? If he sleeps in a crate or another room he may just be bored and/or lonely at night and when he wakes up early in the morning as kittens are very sociable little people and love to have company. If you can bear the thought of sleeping with him then maybe you could move his bed into your room so he knows you're not far away when he wakes up. Some people don't like the idea of their pets sharing their beds, and I can understand that, but we currently have five cats that sleep on the bed with us in varying combinations and while it can get a little crowded, it's easier to calm them down and prevent the wacky races at 5am.
It's also a good idea to get a cuddly toy that's about the same size as him or even slightly bigger and put it into his bed with him at night so he has something to snuggle into and he'll feel a lot more secure and happy and will be less likely to demand attention at the crack of dawn.

Gadeia

After this morning I think we are gonna have to put his bed in our room at least for a few weeks until he grows out of this crazy ours. I'll have to convince my boyfriend but it's worth the try. I need my sleep!
I was feeding him twice a day and then he has his dry food available at all times but he seems to ignore it. I was also following the amount per day and weight that says in the food but I suppose he is not gonna get fat if I feed him more, he'll probably be glad even...
He also seems to it more if I stay around when he is eating. Is that normal? This morning I had to go to work after I put his food and he didn't seem to eat more than a few bites.
Oh god when my cats were kittens I wasn't aware of all this, my poor mum prob did all the work herself!
Mary thanks again you are a star! You don't know how much you are helping me!

MaryK666

Kittens are funny little people and each as quirky as each other. They all have strange little ways about them. Some will only eat if you stay with them, some will refuse to eat if there's anyone around. If you think that theres a chance that he's eating more or eating better with you around then that's the way to go.
The feeding guides on pet food is just a guide to what to feed a healthy, normal cat or kitten and should, by no means, be taken as gospel. Some of his crying could be from hunger, especially if he doesn't appear to be eating a lot of the kibble you leave out. It could be that it's still a little hard for his tiny little teeth but he should eat more of it as he grows.
The idea of mixing the kibble with some warm water is a good one. Not only does it soften up the food to make it easier for him to eat but the warm water will releaze the smell from it and make it much more appetising for him.
Kittens will rarely overeat as they only have tiny little stomachs so it's probably a good idea to give him at least four feeds of the warm, wet, kibble a day while he's still very young. If you stay with him, it may encourage him to eat more but make sure that you take up any of the food that's left over and dispose of it.

If it means allowing them into your bedroom, on your bed or in your favourite chair, you need to think about whether you're prepared to live with that before taking on an animal. Kittens are as much work as children but, in my humble opinion, but more fun and you have to be prepared to make sacrifices for them that you wouldn't normally consider. Personally, if my BF complained about the cats in our bed he'd be told to go sleep on the sofa - and he knows that too.

You're doing great with him so far and I'm sure it won't be long before he's putting on the weight and totally ruling the house.

Gadeia

Just a quick update to all of you that helped us a few weeks ago. Davos is doing great, weights almost a kilo now and he loves his food, we are still trying him not to wake us up at 5.14 every morning (better than any alarm). But he is eating his food, and drinking his water, playing loads and getting bigger at an amazing pace!
Here there's a picture of him with his favourite toy

Zapperzy

Gadeia wrote: »

Just a quick update to all of you that helped us a few weeks ago. Davos is doing great, weights almost a kilo now and he loves his food, we are still trying him not to wake us up at 5.14 every morning (better than any alarm). But he is eating his food, and drinking his water, playing loads and getting bigger at an amazing pace!
Here there's a picture of him with his favourite toy

You really know how to make a person kitten broody!! He's gorgeous! Just to let you know the waking in the morning thing doesn't go away, I still wake up with a purring face sitting on my pillow staring at me or licking my face 7 years later!

Gadeia

I wouldnt mind purring and licking, the problem is that he will play with my nose, my eyelashes... out of nowhere! Im gonna have a heart attack!