Gauging interest ~ Pet Supplies/Treats/Toys Swap after the holidays

[pyrodarknessanny]

yeah Australia is crazt strict with things like straw, I would think things like bird seed is a NOPE in the mail too.
quarantine and all that junk'  id have to check on packaged stuff.

as for the pet list  we got lots,
2 dogs, 2 miniature horses , 4 birds , 2 lizards , and over 20 snakes

I want to be in this swap but  cause I live in the crazy country im going to say   no food items  in or out ' just to be safe

[Sunshine]

Yay I'm so glad to see more interest!!

So, to join the "What pets you got?!" bandwagon...

Inside pets:
2 dogs - Black Lab: Spencer, Blue Heeler/Basenji Mix: Quorra
6 cats - Mookie, Morrison, Simon, Goober, Biz and Mama
1 fish - Red Tiger Oscar: Professor Chaos aka PC

Outdoor "lovestock"
2 goats - Annabelle and Felicity
A gaggle of geese - Chinese crested, Tolouse, American Buff
A flock of ducks - all random kinds
A flock of chickens
2 Turkeys - Royal Palm pair: Jive and Tanqueray
1 guinea keet

I think that's it...
(And yes, my lovestock likes certain treats that can be purchased too...hehe! )

[MiRaja]

Oh!  Yes, yes please!

I want to share my love of all-natural cat treats ( Bonito flakes! ) to another kitty lover.  They are made in Japan, but they're made more for human consumption, but pet food companies have been buying them up and repackaging them strictly for animals with a 300% markup. . . 

Anyways! 

For critters, I have three cats!  Mine are ALL grain free diet.  They do love toys, Momo loves big stuffed animals, and animal-clothes are totes encouraged.  Or hey, even new collars! 

My parents do have two Macaws that I did handfeed around 7 years ago when they were babies.  :3  So, there's a bit of an oddity.  They prefer NUTS.  Brazil, Macadamia, Walnuts, Almonds, etc.  No Cashews or Pistachios( Not true nuts ) and they love crap they can tear up.  Like big blocks of wood.  They also eat peanuts, which while not a true nut, is one of their favorites.  They also like those stupid cheddar and peanut butter crackers.  They don't eat the cracker, just 'lick' off the peanut butter.  So silly!  Roxie's favorite food is cheese, which is not good for her, but if we have pizza, she will toss a fit until someone offers her a bite of crust covered in cheese, which means Rexie must get a piece too. 

[duckie]

We've just got a syrian hamster and I'd love to make up an indoor run for him to play in, so I'd be interested

[Sunshine]

I suppose when we really get started we'll have specific questions pertaining to all diet and allergies and things like "Grain free" and "Specific Proteins" - they may get lost in this thread... - my animals indoors are all grain free too! ... but apparently my lab isn't a fan of that, because he really really really loves eating sweet corn...

[Mkia]

I suppose when we really get started we'll have specific questions pertaining to all diet and allergies and things like "Grain free" and "Specific Proteins" - they may get lost in this thread... - my animals indoors are all grain free too! ... but apparently my lab isn't a fan of that, because he really really really loves eating sweet corn...

Ohhh my guinea pigs love corn xP.

Yeah I think once this gets to time of starting, we will have to include a place on the application for what animals you have, and diets for them.

[Katika]

This is going to sound pretty forward... but by reading some of these replies, I really don't feel like a $20 budget would get that far in this swap, especially considering how many of the interested parties have so many animals.  For example, my older dog is bloat-prone and allergic to half the world.  Her *cheap* treats cost $15 a bag and since I don't keep things in the house that she could accidentally nab and trigger reactions, that's what my other dog gets, too.  I'd love to participate, but if the treats alone would almost fill up the entire budget, it would make just as much (if not more) sense for me, personally, to just go and buy them myself, you know?  Maybe the swap could be organized by pet type or varying budget categories? 

I just know that my pets are super DUPER high-maintenance and I'm ultra picky about what they can and cannot have for that reason, so I know I'd be more work as a swap partner than anyone would want to deal with, lol!

***EDIT TO ADD***
I do think this sounds like a fantastic idea, though, and would be interested in participating if my animals weren't so high-maintenance!  I wasn't meaning to sound discouraging or negative about the idea; I was just a little concerned about how to make the budget stretch so all of the critters involved get to be spoiled

[Sunshine]

Totally get where you're coming from - most "high end" animal stuff is on the expensive side... I know I personally would have to drop out though if we went much higher than $25-30 myself, because, ya know, I'm spending money on my animals every day in addition to what this swap would be... (and since I have so MANY animals as well)

Perhaps treats aren't the main focus then - there are toys, costumes, clothing, tags, collars, leashes... I think that the lower swap budget just means you have to shop smart, but I can understand if you think your animals are "too high maintenance" that you don't really want someone else shopping for them... this may not be the best swap then, haha But, if you are satisfied with getting one special bag of expensive treats and you know, some random extras, then, I still say you should participate!

My only major concern with the whole "my animals are very specifically eating only THIS BRAND" - if you're buying it from some local, non-national chain, it may be really hard for other people to find that... like, I ONLY have a PetCo here. That's the only pet store within 40 miles of where I live... no dog bakeries, no special cat stores, no fish stores... just PetCo. So I can find all kinds of high quality food but it's your name brands - Blue, Natural Balance, etc etc etc... but I can't find you know... some local homemade special jerky treat that only you have locally. So... I think it will definitely have to be a decision based on you and your pet specifically if you think another person COULD shop for them and you feel comfortable with what you'd get for the budget we set...

That's just my opinion, ya know?

Oh oh - edit to add: I personally definitely don't expect ALL my animals to get something in this swap - I wouldn't care if my partner sent nothing but kitty treats and ignored all the other animals, or dog stuff, or even... goat stuff,