The cost of a pet

[stressedmama]

Although we already have a beta fish for my son, my husband would like to get either a cat or dog to add to our family. My question is, for those of you that have either a cat or dog how much do you typically spend for food, vet, basic care for your pet in a year?

[momof1in150]

My vet told us when we got our puppy that the first year and last year of an animals life are the most expensive. We bought a yellow lab puppy from a breeder in 2006 and the dog was $700. Between food, vet visits, hots, meds, spaying, and other stuff we needed (crate, leash, bowls, toys, etc) we spent $2700 on the dog. The second year we spent $830.

There are ways to do this much less expensively. You can a dog or cat from the pound or rescue league and they are usually spayed or neutered and their first year shots are already done.

Going from a fish to a cat or dog is a big step. You can leave a fish for a couple of days without worrying about them, you can't do that with a dog or cat.

[FrugalFish]

Cats can be pretty inexpensive pets, even if you feed them a high quality diet- they just do not eat all that much or require much in the way of supplies. The first year is definitely more expensive, with shots, neutering, etc.

When our 2 cats were both healthy, they cost probably $50/month between food, litter, and other supplies. Vaccinations for cats (over 1 year of age) are often done every 3 years now, and last time I checked that, it was about $50 for a combo vaccine and rabies. If you take your pet to the vet once a year for a check up, that will probably run $100-$200 depending on where you live.

One of my cats has problems now and requires a lot of care, though she does well. She has to go to the vet for tests every 3 months, take medication every day, and has to have other home treatments that, while reasonably priced, do add up. She is now costing about $1500 per year to maintain (not including food)- she does so well that not treating her is not an option.

Last month, the healthy cat broke a tooth and had to be treated to the tune of $450. He's old, so extra care had to be taken when they knocked him out to remove the root. That is where the real cost of pet ownership hits you hard- when unexpected vet costs come up.

It's not really what you asked, but I've been thinking about it a lot lately because it's becoming a constant source of stress in my life. In thinking about it, the next time we plan on getting a pet, in advance we'll set up a MMA with at least $5000 in it. To this will be added at least $20/month. This will not be used to pay for food and routine care, it will sit there in case unexpected vet bills arise. If the cat needs care, I won't have to worry about where to squeeze the money from in the budget; it will be like the cat's private insurance policy. If the pet passes away without needing the money (as our dog would have done), then we have a nice chunk of change available, or we can use it for the next pet.

[skydivingchic]

I have 2 cats. One was adopted for free from a family who could no longer keep her. The youngest was adopted from a rescue society, already neutered and with some of the first shots, for about $100. I started keeping track of the money I spend on them about a year and a half ago. Currently I am budgeting $60/month for their care. This includes food, litter, vet visits, and treats and has been perfectly adequate to cover their care thus far. If one of them ever had a broken leg or some major surgery, I would probably have to supplement this amount somewhat, but it has more than covered all the basics and one teeth cleaning.

[Gruntina]

I have had cats my whole life.

I believe you have a better chance of lowering your pet expenses if you keep your future dog or cat indoors and not outside much.


My now cat goes outside when we come home from work because we live out in the country and we also garden. The cat follows us around in the garden. I allow this because the cat is extremely happy and lovely dovey and we do spend a lot of time out in the garden.

I learned from this experience that out in the countries there are more types of outdoor issues than compared to city living and indoor pet living. We ran into the cat getting fleas, chiggers, catching all kinds of creatures and there were more types of heartworms than what are in the city. This means more cost for more treatment and I have a heartworm/flea drop all in one treatment each month. I have to coat my cat's ears with drops for the month of October to December for chigger preventives.

So now my cat only has a limit of 1-2 hours the most outside but I would not allow this for any future other cats.

In general, it is so much easier and healthier if pet remained an indoor pet. I now understand why vets and animal adoption advocates suggest this.

[maat55]

There are amny ways to own a pet. You can buy them for too much money or rescue them for much less. Yearly shots are not that much, food depends on how big of pet.

Keeping your home clean will be an additional challenge. But, we would not live without one.

[Coleroo]

We spend an average of $500 or less per year on our 3 dogs. They live inside with us (one sleeps on our bed), and are outside playing for most of the day. They've never seen a crate. Shots will be your biggest start up, but even that can be had for less than $100.

Just like children, pets can be as costly - or as inexpensive - as you let them be! There really are no hard and fast rules.

I've owned dogs my whole life - almost all of them have been cheap "rescues" or a free puppy or two from a friend's litter. Outside of rabies shots and puppy vaccines, our dogs only visited the vet if they were sick (which, in my 25 years of us owning dogs, is rarely). Our dogs live happy lives reaching into their teens.

We currently own 3 medium sized dogs, 2 years of age and under. My parents have 4 (two lap dogs and two medium breeds, all over the age of 5 years). Outside of shots, the only veterinarian cost we've encountered was when our girl Gabby had to have emergency surgery last spring - that cost us $600 cash. The only vet cost my parents have encountered in a while is when their little yorkie had her foot bones broke when another dog down the street chomped at her during a walk around the neighborhood. Things like that are rare though!

Also, just as with humans, food bills can run the gammut from outrageously cheap (50 lb bags of dry dog food) to outrageously expensive (very high quality name brand non-byproduct dog food). Either way, as long as a dog is fed a basically good diet he'll be happy and healthy - you're the one who decides how "extreme" you want to go with it (such as when people decide to go all "organic" or "local" and thus raise their food bill).

For our dogs, we currently feed them with a mixture of good nutritional human food (just portions of what I cook for dinner) and then meals from their 50 pound dry dog food bag. With 3 medium dogs, we typically average 2 bags of food per month at a cost of $14 per bag.

As for supplies, a dog truly doesn't need much. Again, this is definately an area where you can make it as cheap or as expensive as you wish. The essentials to buy are a brush, collar, leash, and name tag. Everything else can be either found at home or made! Bedding can be an old pillow and old blanket. A toy can be made from an old stick or a knotted sheet! Food and water can be given in old heavy weight crockery bowls from your kitchen.

In many counties across the nation, spaying / neutering can be done for free or very low cost at local humane societies. For instance, our neighboring county offers it free for their residences and $20 for non-residences. Rabies shots can be found free and cheap too (a traveling clinic near us offers $5 shots every few months).

Flea and heartworm medicine would probably be your biggest ongoing spending - frontline (flea treatment) costs about $40 for a 3 month supply. But that is something you definately need if your dog will be outside and if you're area is prone to fleas.

The prices of obtaining dogs (and cats, although I've never owned any) also run the gammut from very expensive to free. Your local rescue will probably charge in the vicinity of $100 to adopt, but they usually are already neutered/spayed for you. Be careful of "flea market" dogs, as some of the dealers can be unscrupulous and charge inflated prices for what they claim is a pedigreed dog. Dogs from such breeders are ones who tend to end up needing the most vet services.

Other things you need to consider if you get a dog is where he will live (inside or out?), where he will sleep, do you need a city dog tag, where will he get daily exercise, and (especially) which breed is right for you.

[samaria]

Depends which food you decide to feet him on, also his general health and how many Vet bills you have to pay, then there is the cost of worming, flea treatment and yearly inoculations. So, all in all, it can be very expensive, and Pet Insurance against Vet bills is a very good idea. Also a good quality food could save you money in the long run as it improves overall health and cuts down on stomach problems.Americans are spending more money than ever on their pets -- about $28.5 billion this year, according to the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association, on most everything from food and grooming to canine massages and medical care. As for medical care alone, the group says, a dog owner spends an average of $196 a year, while a cat owner spends $104.

[kilapapipa]

We have 2 dogs and they save us money. If we did not have dogs, we would travel more but it is hard to put them up in kennels and with friends or even relatives. One dog would be easier but traveling with 2 dogs and 3 kids can be rough.

[ithaca]

We had a puppy that had cushings disease. So she was always kinda sick and she kept getting more expensive each year until she passed away at 4 years old. Just wanted to give the other side of the story. Sometimes it can cost a lot of money and be a total heartbreaker.

[PetMom]

I was just reading the posts and I agree life without a pet in the house would be bleak and empty - I have visited a few homes without pets and they just seem that way to me.

But, you have to plan. Basic costs can be kept low - think of it - on the money you save from outfits (go to thrift store and get infant t shirts for your chihuahua), fancy chewies, toys you can be putting aside for what your pet might someday need: emergency vet care.

We are hit with this expense every few years even with all the pets we have. But you have to be prepared.

I read about the MMA and cannot find what that is - might be an HSA for animals - there needs to be something for that.

We do not use credit cards and I have noticed most emergency vet clinics now offer their own financing - the brochures sit right there at the checkout. But what is amazing and they do this to weed out any non payers is they examine your pet then bring in the estimate sheet with various options of treatment.

That would be very heartbreaking to bring in a sick pet and find you don't have the money to help it.

So we save and keeping an emergency funds for my pets is the main motivation for budgeting.

[CindyLu322]

We have a dog. She was a kennel dog so the starting costs were small - around $60 adoption fee covered all vaccinations and spaying. Then we just bought the basics - leash, bowl, food.

I buy a big bag of dog food every 2 months or so and it costs around $25, so I guess that's around $150/year for food. Vet bills (for vaccines, check-up, and heartworm and flea meds) is around $200/year. We have had her for 5 years and had almost no vet bills that were unexpected expenses (and she's over 8 years old now so knock on wood!). We did take her for a dental cleaning this year which cost around $250 (but was well worth it in the improvement of her breath!)

Boarding costs $19/night when we go on vacation and don't have someone to watch her. Most of the time a friend of family member is glad to take her, though. And she travels with us to visit family members on overnight trips.

So, I guess here is my break-down:

Start-up: around $100 for kennel dog and supplies
Vet: around $200/year (plus any possible emergencies)
Food: around $150/year
Boarding: $19/night (often works out to several nights per year for us so maybe $50/year)

For the quality of life, I'd say that a dog is a major bargain. She's brightens our home in so many ways. I couldn't imagine living without a dog.

[FrugalFish]

I read about the MMA and cannot find what that is - might be an HSA for animals - there needs to be something for that.

MMA= money market account. It would be kind of a home grown HSA

[PetMom]

Thanks FrugalFish - I was searching long and hard for that
in the employee benefits handbook! Small wonder
I could not find it and you saved me a call to the HR dept.