My name is Michelle, and I'm a cat lady. I didn't set out to find myself in a position where I was feeding ten cats, but it happened. A few months ago, I was living a relatively normal life with a relatively normal number of cats. But when my husband and I and our two cats moved into our new house there was one thing that the previous owners had failed to mention on the list of disclosures - an assortment of stray, feral, and neighbor cats hanging out in our backyard. It started innocently enough; I put out food for the neighbor cat that visited most often, but one day I turned around and looked out my patio door to find a mom cat and her three tiny kittens helping themselves. Our two cats soon found themselves sharing the house with them, and eventually another handful of orphaned kittens.

After countless vet visits, minor medical emergencies, and a lot of canned food, we've since adopted out all but three of the cats we found. Pet ownership isn't cheap when you have a reasonable amount of furry friends, and it can get downright burdensome when you're looking to feed, fix, and vaccinate a plethora of pets. Here are some of the things I did to curb my spending.

1. Take Your Kitty to a Low Cost Clinic

There's no excuse to not get your cats spayed and neutered. In addition to keeping your pet population from getting out of hand, cats that get fixed wander less and are therefore less likely to get injured by cars or other animals.

But it's surgery, and even kitten sized surgery is expensive. I took advantage of a low cost spay and neuter clinic, Spay Neuter Project of Los Angeles. Their regular prices are almost $100 less than what my local veterinarian wanted to charge, and when I got my cats fixed they were running a summer special that knocked neutering down to just $15 and spaying to $25. There are similar services all over the country, many which offer even further discounts for low income families or vouchers for a free spay/neuter if you adopt from the pound.

Many of these same clinics offer low cost vaccinations too! Before you take your cats to the vet for routine vaccines, see what's available in your area.

2. Be Proactive at the Vet

If you have a ton of cats, you'll get to know your vet pretty well. It never hurts to see if you might qualify for a discount; my vet offered 10% off services because my cats were rescued. It might also help to bring more than one pet in at a time; some veterinarians offer a discounted office visit rate if they can see more than one pet at a time.

It also never hurts to ask about what you're actually paying for on your vet bill. Before any treatments were given, I asked to see the invoice to see the breakdown of costs. I found that my vet was going to charge $15 to apply the same flea medication I could apply at home.

Just like human doctors, if you're unsure about an expensive treatment or surgery, it's a good idea to get a second opinion. A $40 office visit might save you hundreds in bills! Of course, you shouldn't skimp on an important treatment or surgery just to save money. If your cats are getting a little older, you might want to consider getting pet insurance.

3. Don't Give Away Kittens for Free

If you're looking to adopt out kittens or cats, consider asking for a nominal fee to cut some of your costs. It will also keep people from making rash decisions about taking a free kitten that they might not be able to care for.

4. Stop Spoiling Your Cat

I used to be guilty of letting my two oldest cats eat as much as they wanted, and they got overweight. Not only is this an inefficient way to dole out food, cats that are overweight have more medical problems and shorter lifespans. They lost weight - and I didn't spend as much money - when I started to actually measure out what they ate. If your cats continue to beg, consider getting an automatic feeder. Although it's an investment, it teaches your cat to disassociate you from food - I promise they'll still love you anyway.

When you get a new cat it may be tempting to shower it with gifts like toys and beds, but experienced cat owners will tell you that their cats' favorite hideouts and playthings didn't come from a pet store. Instead of a pricey bed, check out baskets or lidless storage boxes from discount or second hand stores. My cats love playing with plastic bottle caps or even crumpled up paper.

5. Shop Around for Kitty Accessories

Compare prices in your neighborhood pet and grocery stores to find the best places to pick up food and litter. If you're looking for things like carriers and play structures, you might be able to find them cheap on craigslist. And of course, don't forget to check out our pets category on Ultimate Coupons!