Why buy cat food and other supplies online, when you can see the actual merchandise in your local stores? This, of course, is a personal choice, but there are factors you should consider before choosing which way to go. You may end up using a combination of both shopping methods for cat products. Provided here are the pros, cons, cautions, and tips for shopping online for cat products.

Why Buy Cat Products Online?

• Convenience
  Sometimes the perfect product is only available online. Also, most online merchants provide searchable databases for their products so you don't have to spend hours going from store-to-store to find that perfect kitty art print or poster, or wait in line for a harried salesperson to explain the differences in cat food ingredients. In my experience it is the rare in-store salesperson who knows anything about cat food.

• Save Wear-and-Tear on Your Auto
  The stop-and-go driving that's the norm in some areas is just exacerbated by weekend and holiday crowds. That's the hardest kind of driving that affects your car's longevity. The savings on gas alone should be an incentive, particularly at today's inflated gas costs.
• Avoid Wear-and-Tear on Yourself
  If you are disabled, elderly, pregnant, have to tow along several kids, or simply hate everything having to do with shopping in malls and brick-and-mortar stores, online shopping was meant for you. A few clicks of the mouse for doorstep delivery, and you have more time to play with your cat.
• Larger Variety of Cat Products Available
  A brick-and-mortar cat supplies store is limited to the space it has for inventory. Online cat products sites are almost limitless in the number of products they can offer.

Reasons to Shop at Your Local Pet Supplies Store

1. You Can See and Examine the Product
   Sometimes nothing beats seeing the real thing, rather than just a glossy package. Face it, sometimes online cat products turn out to be substandard in manufacture and substance. If it's a small purchase, you may just decide to keep it; if it's a larger one, you'll have the hassle and expense of returning it for refund or replacement.

1. To Save Shipping Costs of Online Cat Products
   This can sometimes be a "biggee," particularly if your shipping costs for a large order is calculated by weight. The other side of the coin is a very light item with a shipping cost almost equal to the purchase price. I experienced this dilemma with da Bird. Unfortunately, it is not available in my local pet supply stores, so I have to "bite the bullet" and buy it online.
2. To Support Your Local Independent Cat Supplies Merchant
   Barry, a loyal reader pointed this out recently. While local PetCo stores may not have to close because of online buying competition, the smaller independent stores are more threatened. The independent small local chain where I shop does not sell online. I'm fine with that because I know that the cat food I purchase there is always fresh. Also, as Barry says, "I admit a personal stake in this because we found our Newman at a rescuers event at a Petco. Wouldn't it be a shame to lose that sort of homing outlet? Petco supports rescuers with these events because they help Petco's bottom line. I suspect internet adoption is nowhere near as effective as looking at furry faces face-to-face.

Precautions to Take When Buying Cat Products Online

Although giving your credit card information to a merchant in a secure server is about as safe as handing the card to a salesperson in a "brick and mortar" store, there are some things you should know.

• Read Product Reviews Before Buying Cat Products
  I offer reviews on countless products. There are also a number of consumer product review companies online.
• Know your merchants, by experience or reputation.
  PriceGrabber utilizes both a merchant rating and a product review system. If you have no previous experience, check out one of the many online consumer complaints resources. In case you get caught up with an unresolved complaint, the FTC has a helpful page on Your Rights Don't be a victim of the "shop in haste; repent at leisure" syndrome.
• Read the merchant's "Privacy Policy."
  It contains important information.
  Some merchants will give you an option of receiving new product information, sales, etc. from them or from their associates. It's important to read the fine print. Some merchants may even sell their customer database lists to online, phone, and "snailmail" marketing firms.
• Make sure you understand the merchant's return/refund policy.
  Online merchants often will not refund shipping costs. Some of the "As seen online" merchants are particularly at risk for this policy.
• Make sure the merchant's check-out page is secure.
  Most browsers feature a little closed padlock as an indicator.
• Print out your order receipt and file it in a safe place.
  In case you need to track a shipment, you'll need this information. As an alternative, I wait for the email confirmation, with those online companies that provide it, and save all those emails in a special folder in Outlook.

Tips to Optimize Your Online Shopping experiences

• If You Register With the Merchant
  Registration is sometimes optional, but if you choose to register, do select the "email special offers" box. You can often receive special sales notices, coupons, and sometimes even special free shipping offers - a real bennie.
• Take advantage of shipping discounts.
  Some online stores even offer free shipping promotions.
• Consider "Bottomless Bowl" Discounts
  Judiciously applied, these can sometimes offer additional savings. Be sure to read the fine print first.

When you know all the pros and cons of online shopping, you may find it a convenient and useful experience. I know my neighbors must think I own stock in UPS. However, I'll still brave the weekend crowds to visit my local Pet Food Express store, if only to pet the cats for adoption there and donate a bag or two of food to our local rescue group.