Pet Ownership
Can You Afford To Look After A Pet?

Article written by Mary in NC

Pet ownership

Hello everyone.

Most regular followers of this site know me from my many posts about my beloved feline family.
(I have 15 cats and 1 dog, which was ALL rescued) When I took these precious animals in, I had to consider many facts in order to be able to give them all the life they so deserved.

It is no secret that giving proper care to a pet or pets is expensive but it is easy to not see the BIG picture when we take in a pet and promise them the purrfect home.

Little did I know when I started adopting rescued cats several years ago that a day would come when I was paying out of pocket over 100.00 (American dollars) per week for their basic needs.

This is NOT including any unexpected emergency care that arises (and it DOES happen).
So this got me to thinking:

How many of us really think about and calculate the lifetime cost of a pet before taking on the responsibility of bringing it into our home?

It is easy to fall in love with them when you look in their eyes but in all fairness, they have needs and their needs are costly. We therefore need to ask ourselves BEFORE we make this lifetime commitment to an animal CAN I AFFORD PET OWNERSHIP?

Don’t get me wrong by any means. I am ALL FOR rescue of a helpless animal and if you can do it then by all means take that precious animal in and shower it with all the love and affection you have to give. But make sure that you are financially able FIRST so that animal does not one day end up in the local shelter due to not being affordable.

If you should ever get to a point where you find you cannot afford your pet (due to job loss or other unexpected happenings) then research some GOOD, NO KILL RESCUES and ask for their help. Most cities have charity programs that will assist you in feeding your pet or finding a forever home for it if you find you cannot give it the care you had hoped for.

I know everyone who reads this site is a animal lover so don’t we owe it to these wonderful companions to make sure they are coming home to a place where they will have all their needs met, and have lots of one on one time spent with their human?

As concerned pet lovers, we should always ask ourselves:

Can I Afford Pet Ownership?

Most of us who are pet lovers assume that we can afford a pet but if we are honest with ourselves can we really afford a pet and care for it in the manner that a living creature deserves?

It is easy to walk by the pet store window on payday and see a precious kitten or puppy and think "awwww, I want this pet". So since it is payday and you have a little extra cash on hand, you pay for it and take it home.
Your heart is in the right place but is your wallet in agreement?

Ask yourself the following questions and find out if indeed, you CAN afford pet ownership.

• Are you financially able to provide the proper food that provides nutrition to your pet in all the growth stages?
• Can you afford to take your new pet to the Vet immediately after taking ownership and have it checked out medically as well as vaccinated from the threat of disease?
• Can you afford to have your pet Spayed or Neutered as soon as it is old enough?
• Can you afford the weekly need of litter or puppy pads for a young pet in training?
• Can you afford proper and safe toys to occupy your pet in your absence?
• How much daily time do you have to offer your pet for one on one attention?
• Have you budgeted for any un-expected emergency care that your pet may need?
• Can you afford the necessary tools to keep your pet properly groomed such as nail clipping and coat care?
• Are your children old enough to understand how to properly care for a pet?
• Do you have a reliable person or pet sitter you can call upon in case you need to be away for any period of time?

Now, let’s view the facts:

What does your pet really costs you?

It's easy to forget about long-term costs when you first see that fluffy tail and those big eyes. Educate yourself first, choose the right pet or breed, and learn how to reduce the expenses. If you've ever owned a dog, you know they're expensive to feed. But you might be surprised to know that your cat is likely to cost you more over her lifetime than the typical large dog.

Although cats typically eat less than most dogs and usually incur lower vet bills, they tend to live longer.
So while dog ownerships translates into a financial commitment of about $8,000 over the animal's lifetime, the typical cat will set you back more than $10,000. The annual totals include food, recurring medical care, litter (if required), toys and treats, licenses (if required) and pet insurance.

Setup costs include various gear, training classes for dogs, spaying or neutering, and other initial medical costs, such as worming, basic blood tests and insertion of a microchip ID tag (optional).

These estimates don't include:

• The expenses of purchasing or adopting the animal.
  
  
• Modifications you may make to your home, such as a dog door or gates.
  
  
• The sometimes extraordinary price tags of veterinary care if a pet suffers an accident or develops a serious disease.

Anytime that you read about the financial costs of pet ownership, you will read complaints from outraged animal lovers who say you can't put a price tag on the unconditional love a pet offers. But those of us who are advocates of responsible pet ownership — including the Humane Society and the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, or ASPCA, which provided the cost figures believe it's important to be realistic about the expenses involved so you can budget appropriately for your pet. "Finding the love of your life in a dog or cat body is the easy part, "The hard part is slowing down a bit and really thinking about what this involves ... Can you afford this pet? "Unfortunately, it's the folks who don't think about the costs who are doing their pets and themselves a disservice:

* Shelters are filled with animals abandoned because their owners can no longer afford them.
Here is the USA the mortgage crisis has increased the number of "foreclosure pets," those left behind because families can't find apartments that will accept them or can't afford the increased deposits required.
As the economy deteriorates, more owners discover the costs of food, litter or veterinary care are too much for their shrinking budgets.

* Pet owners pinched by costs may be tempted to short-change their animals by not getting regular veterinary care, for example, or resorting to cheap foods that can cause health problems.

* At the other extreme, pet owners can sacrifice their own financial stability trying to care for pets they can't afford.

If you're deep in debt and struggling to make ends meet, you may long for the comfort of some furry companionship, but now isn't the time to add another pet to your household. Get your finances on track first.

If you're overwhelmed by the expenses of the pets you've already got, I recommend contacting local shelters, animal rescue groups and human services agencies, such as food banks, to see what help might be available.
Did you know that most "Meals on Wheels Programs have a program that provides FREE pet food to their recipients on their food program?

"Shelters and rescue groups understand there's a problem, and most try to help.
Such aid can include pet food banks, free litter and programs that include discounted veterinary care, including spaying and neutering "so six months from now you don't have six cats instead of one," she said.

If you're considering getting a pet, here's what I'd recommend and this is MY personal experience and belief:

* Get a detailed cost estimate. The ASPCA guidelines are just a starting point. Costs and life span can vary enormously by breed. A Great Dane, for example, can easily cost three times more to feed than a typical large dog. Some breeds are also prone to genetic or other health problems, which will affect your vet bills. Talk to your vet and people who own the breed you want for details.

* Consider the time commitment as well. Cost isn't the only factor that leads people to regret pets.
You may discover you don't have sufficient time to devote to the animal. Think about the animal's needs for walks, grooming, training (a must for dogs) and how that will fit with your lifestyle.

* Reduce costs on the front end. Adoption from a shelter or rescue group is typically far less expensive than buying an animal from a pet shop or breeder However, rescue groups may require "donations" of hundreds of dollars for a placement (do your research).

* Save up in advance. You should be able to pay those acquisition costs, along with all the other setup expenses, in cash. If you don't plan to buy pet insurance for your dog or cat, set up a special savings account for veterinary care and transfer a few hundred dollars to it each year.

In conclusion, if you ever need assistance in finding help with providing for your pet in hard times and if your unable to locate any charities or no kill shelters who are willing to help you then please feel free to contact me by sending an email to Kate on this site and she will notify me and I will do my best to help you find someone in your local area to assist you in your time of need.

Thank you for allowing me to say what is on my mind. I look at my precious pet’s everyday and think to myself: I'd work 3 jobs if it meant making sure they have proper provisions. This is how we pet lovers think (with our hearts).

God Bless you all who have given a needy animal a wonderful home with lots of love.

Mary in NC

Thank you Mary for this great article about pet ownership.

Top of this Pet Ownership Page

Back to Cat Care Page

Happy Cat Home Page