Our pets are beloved members of our families and deserve our unconditional care, along with mental and physical stimulation that keeps them healthy and active.
But did you know the average U.S. household spends around $770 per year on their pets?
Fortunately, people are discovering thrifty hacks to help them save money on pet care while reducing household waste and keeping pet items out of landfills.
One pet parent shared a genius hack on Reddit for repairing a well-loved cat tree rather than just throwing it out when it starts showing wear and tear.
The original poster shared a photo of the repaired cat tree to r/Frugal and wrote, "Instead of throwing out and replacing a cat tree, I bought 300 feet of sisal rope for $17 and replaced it myself."
"It's been a month and has been holding up well," the pet parent wrote. "I've replaced 1.5 posts on two cat trees with just some sisal rope I got online and some hot glue to attach it."
This Reddit post is an excellent example of taking damaged items in your home and getting crafty to make DIY repairs. By fixing the cat post, the pet parent saved a lot of money from not having to buy a new one and kept their cats happy with a familiar climbing apparatus they already knew and loved.
When you repair pet necessities instead of throwing them out, you make them more unique with personal touches while learning new skills. Meanwhile, large items like cat trees don't decompose well in landfills and contribute to methane gas pollution that adds to global overheating.
In addition to pet items, you can take sustainable approaches to making repairs and decluttering around the house with your clothes, sports gear, electronics, music equipment, books, and art supplies.
This inspirational Redditor shared that the cats have enjoyed the replacement posts since making the repairs. And people across the internet applauded their frugal and sustainable approach.
"Smart move on the DIY!" one Reddit user wrote in the comments. "That's some solid cat tree arbitrage right there."
A Redditor wrote, "Thank you for not putting that in the trash or on the curb! Nice work!!"
"Thank you for this!" wrote another Redditor. "I was just talking about buying a new tree because of this, but this is so much better!"
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