If you buy the HORSE kind (of all supplements), it's VERY economical to feed, just read all the ingredients to be sure it's cat-safe.

Prices subject to change from the date this was written!

For example, Pet-tinic is a common iron/B vitamin supplement fed to cats:
http://www.pfizerah.com/product_overview.asp?drug=PN&country=US&Lang=EN&species=FL it's a 4 OZ bottle and it costs about $8, depending on the store: http://www.countrysidevetsupply.com/level.itml/icOid/371 ($2.00 an ounce)

Lixo-Tinic is the same product labelled for horses: http://www.pfizerah.com/product_overview.asp?drug=LY&country=US&lang=EN&species=EQ it's sold in a GALLON sized bottle (keeps well if refrigerated), and sells for about $60, depending on the store: http://www.allivet.com/LIXOTINIC-p/25356.htm ($0.47 cents an ounce)

1 US gallon = 128 US fluid ounces, so you see, it's MUCH more economical to buy the gallon!

Joint supplements:
Cosequin for cats costs about $18 for 80 doses (40 to 160 days supply, depending on dose/regimen, about $0.23 cents a dose) http://www.valleyvet.com/ct_detail.html?pgguid=0a3c29c8-d685-4d13-b642-3f16634be8bb

Ingredients:
Glucosamine HCl, sodium chondroitin sulfate, gelatin, natural chicken flavor, natural tuna flavor, purified water, manganese ascorbate, mixed glycosaminoglycans, magnesium stearate, titanium dioxide, FD&C Red #3, sodium lauryl sulfate, and FD&C Blue #1.
Glucosamine HCl 99%: 125 mg
Sodium Chondroitin Sulfate 95% (Low molecular weight): 100 mg
Ascorbate (as Manganese Ascorbate): 8 mg
Manganese (as Manganese Ascorbate): 1 mg

Cosequin for horses costs about $65 for what could very well be a several YEAR supply for a cat (You would get 14.5 CAT doses out of ONE horse sized dose, and this sized container has 28 horse doses in it, which comes to 406 cat doses, about $0.16 cents a dose): http://www.valleyvet.com/ct_detail.html?pgguid=30e08032-7b6a-11d5-a192-00b0d0204ae5

Active Ingredients, Each Level Scoopful (3.3 Grams) Contains:
Glucosamine HCI 99%: 1800 mg
Microcrystalline Cellulose
Sodium Chondroitin Sulfate 95%, Mixed Glycosaminoglycans 5%: 600 mg
Ascorbate (As Manganese Ascorbate): 104 mg
Manganese (As Manganese Ascorbate): 16 mg

MSM:
The horse labeled MSM, the kind I have used for dogs in the past: http://www.shanestack.com/shop/index.php?page=shop-flypage-14452

MSM POWDER Ingredients:
Methylsulfonylmethane (min)……….28,000mg per ounce

Feeding Directions:
Can be given to horses. Use 1 tablespoon (approx. ½ ounce) per 1000 lbs body weight morning and evening for 6 days, then 1 tablespoon (approx. ½ ounce) per day. Amount and frequency may be varied as necessary.Can be given to dogs. Use 1/8 of a teaspoon (approx .02 ounce) per 30 lbs of body weight morning and evening for 6 days, then 1/8 of a teaspoon (approx. .02 ounce) per 80 pounds body weight per day.

SO, you can see, that CAT dose would be a PINCH a day (1/3 of the 30LB dog dose), this would last forever, the cost: about $5.00 for 16 ounces (their math suggests the dose for a 10 pound DOG would be about 185 MG per day, we can assume the same would work for cats). Lets do the math... the dog dose says 0.02 ounce is the dose for a 30 pound dog, so for a 10 pound cat, divide that by 3, which comes to 0.006, That means that the cat dose is 0.006 ounces per day, and that will add up to 2,666 CAT doses per container, at a cost of $0.001875 cents a dose (yes, that's LESS than a PENNY a dose!)

The CAT labeled MSM (has other joint supplements in it too), similar to the other kind I have used for cats in the past: http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=14402

Ingredients:
500 mg Glucosamine
400 mg Chondroitin
10 mg Vitamin C
100 mg Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM)
Suggested Daily Use: Up to 10 lbs 1/2 tab or 1/2 scoop, over 10 lbs 1 tab or 1 scoop

100 tablets for $38.00 (200 doses for average cats), or Granules, 6.125 oz, approx. 100 scoops (200 doses) for $38.00, or about $0.19 cents a dose). This only provides a 100MG dose of MSM, compared to the 185 MG dose the horse kind shown above would give)

This method works for almost EVERY supplement out there... if it's given to cats, it's generally given to horses too. The main warning I have to point out is that many less expensive horse supplements are in an Alfalfa base (to make it look like you're getting more for your money). Alfalfa is a type of legume (so are beans and some peas), and it's high in protein, so for a cat on a protein restricted diet, be SURE you get the PURE horse supplements, not the kind in an alfalfa base or pellet (the pure kind is better for all cats, regardless of protein requirements).

Did you guys know you can get OTC antibiotics as well? You can get the tablets labeled for FISH TANKS, or the injectable penicillin labeled for livestock. My vet advised my dad to buy the horse penicillin to give to our dogs when I was a kid and they had Parvo, and my dad couldn't afford the hospitalization. Our dogs lived through parvo, the livestock penicillin works for dogs and cats too! I, myself, have taken the fish tank antibiotics before, they are EXACTLY the same as your doctor would prescribe, I called the manufacturer and asked them, I have a bottle of the fish tank erythromycin in my bathroom closet, in case of strep or ear infections.

http://www.jeffersequine.com/ssc/products.asp?cid=1&bid=1&area=&browselist=452&dept_id=413 (injectable)

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=3568 (injectable)

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Product/Prod_Display.cfm?pcatid=12101&N=2004+113021 (oral)

As you can see from the pfizer website for the common cat antibiotic Clavamox (a brand name of Amoxicillin), the dosage for cats is 62.5 MG two times a day, or every 12 hours. http://www.pfizerah.com/product_overview.asp?drug=CD&country=US&Lang=EN&species=FL
"The recommended dosage is 62.5 mg (1 mL) twice a day. Skin and soft-tissue infections such as abscesses and cellulitis/dermatitis should be treated for 5 to 7 days or 48 hours after all symptoms have subsided, not to exceed 30 days. If no response is seen after 3 days of treatment, therapy should be discontinued and the case re-evaluated. Urinary tract infections may require treatment for 10 to 14 days or longer. The maximum duration of treatment should not exceed 30 days."

You can easily do the math to get the feline dosages from a fish tank tablet. Take Amoxicillin for example: If it's a 250 MG tablet (or capsule) first, rinse off as much of the outer coating as you can without dissolving any of the pill away if it's coated (if it's a capsule, just open it up and dump it in). Then, in a small jar, use an oral syringe to pull up exactly 4 syringes (or droppers, size doesn't matter, it's RATIO that counts) full of water (or tuna juice, or anything your cat will like), and squirt them in with the pill. Shake/stir until fully dissolved, then pull up ONE full syringe of the solution. That's 1/4 the original dose, so that would be 1/4 of 250MG, or 62.5 MG, the standard feline dose of amoxicillin. EACH fish tank pill will give you FOUR cat dosages of Amoxicillin. A bottle costs $15 and has 100 pills in it. That's about $0.04 cents a dose. (obviously, the smaller the syringe you use to dissolve the pill with, the smaller volume the dose will be, and thus the easier it will be to get INTO your cat)

If you buy the Clavamox, it will cost you about $13 for 15 doses (about $0.86 cents a dose): http://www.1800petmeds.com/pdetail.asp?SK=10074&SP=cat

MATH IS YOUR FRIEND, AND RULES WERE MADE TO BE BENT! :)~