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Pet supplies can get expensive. If you are a student or unemployed, you may find it difficult sometimes to make the investments required for your pet. However, don't lose hope. Your cat/dog does not need to suffer. There are a bunch of services, both online and offline, that provides used and secondhand dog/cat gear for sale. Many vets seem to find nothing wrong with buying your dog/cat secondhand supplies. Yet, there are others that wouldn't recommend such a thing. What do you do? How safe really are secondhand pet supplies, and will they prove economic for you, the pet parent, in the long run? Let's find out.
Secondhand pet goods can have residual germs. If you must purchase them, ensure that they are hygienic first. You shouldn't be putting your darling pet at a risk of fleas, ticks and other such transmittable pet diseases. While buying used products for your pet, exercise maximum caution. If you find a compact and sturdy dog crate in seemingly good condition at a yard sale, don’t jump on it without going over all its screws and security locks. If all the screws seem to be fine and there appear to be no cracks on the crate, you may go ahead and proceed with your purchase. Make sure you disinfect and clean this used dog crate thoroughly before allowing your four-legged friend anywhere near it. Wipe this dog crate down carefully and then place it out in the sunlight to dry. It will kill the pathogens.
How to buy secondhand pet supplies
Below, we discuss how to determine if a secondhand pet supply is fit for purchase –
- Feeding bowl – Avoid buying plastic secondhand feeding bowls for your pet as plastic can collect debris. Metal and ceramic feeding bowls should be preferred, even when buying secondhand. They can be easily disinfected
- Clothes – Find your cat a cute used costume on the petcare website? There’s no harm in ordering it. Just don’t forget to wash this costume in hot water and detergent before dressing your little feline in it. You don’t want him/her to come down with fleas/ticks, do you?
Judgement
While it is a better idea to buy things first-hand for your pet, you may want to save a few bucks by getting them for secondhand. There's no shame in that. However, make sure these used goods are thoroughly cleaned and disinfected before introducing them to your pet buddy. Germs and fleas can stay undetected in these passed on products, and you don't want your pet to get hold of these. Try not to get used dog toys or cat trees for your dog/cat to avoid unwanted marking behavior. These products will usually have the odor of the previous pet using them, and your pet will want to urinate and mark territory over them before usage.