do you have a pet? what are the costs?

[97guns]

i have a 6 year old cat that has only seen the vet 2 times, once for a nueter and another for a stomach problem. i would only take him in for an emergency and he's never had shots. he eats dry food and maybe a can or 2 if wet food per week, i would say that for food and litter i spend no more than $20 a month.

im sitting on a biatload of arm and hammer clumping litter that i snagged on closeout for $2 a #25 box

sorry for the upside down pic

[rennigade]

We have 1 dog.

$360/year for monthly pet fee ($30/month)
$250/year for unlimited vet visits and all necessary shots at banfield
$100ish/year for food/treats/hygiene
$100ish/year flea meds/heartworm

Total: $800ish...im sure im forgetting things so ill say $900/year to be safe.

Pets arent cheap...dogs im particular. If you want to save money get a cat that lives indoors. I dont think shots are that necessary since they do not interact with other animals that may have diseases/tickets/fleas, etc etc. They dont eat much and they do not require walking. Very low maintenance...they basically take care of themselves as long as the owner provides food/water/litter...and toys are also nice.

[disneysteve]

We have a freshwater fish tank. Costs are pretty minimal.

A can of fish food costs about $10 and lasts a couple of years.
A year's worth of filters costs about $18.

The only other recurring cost is periodically replacing fish that die. Maybe $20/year.

Of course, there is a cost for electricity and water but I've never tried to calculate that.

[dawnwes]

2 large dogs

$200/yr. petsitting
$400/yr. dog food
$200/yr. shots/Vet (roughly)

We are now down to one dog. One died last month, at home. We buried her in our backyard.

[TexasHusker]

We have a freshwater fish tank. Costs are pretty minimal.

A can of fish food costs about $10 and lasts a couple of years.
A year's worth of filters costs about $18.

The only other recurring cost is periodically replacing fish that die. Maybe $20/year.

Of course, there is a cost for electricity and water but I've never tried to calculate that.

One thing I've always wanted is a large saltwater aquarium. Is that pretty cost intensive ?

[corn18]

The amount varies widely. Our first dog was normal and didn't get any illnesses so it was fairly chap. Maybe $50 / month. Our second dog got cancer and died from that, but that was't cheap. Our third dog got cancer when she was 2 and that has cost us around $10k to mitigate but it finally took her life this year. Our fourth dog is normal and so far has been affordable. Our cats are fairly cheap.

I have $150 / month in the budget for the 1 dog and 2 cats we have now. Wife is convinced they need special vet food. That ain't cheap. And they get shots and annual checkups that run an additional $750 / year.

[disneysteve]

One thing I've always wanted is a large saltwater aquarium. Is that pretty cost intensive ?

I don't really know as I'm not involved in that. I believe the upkeep is more costly and the fish are also more expensive but I don't know the details.

[dawnwes]

The amount varies widely. Our first dog was normal and didn't get any illnesses so it was fairly chap. Maybe $50 / month. Our second dog got cancer and died from that, but that was't cheap. Our third dog got cancer when she was 2 and that has cost us around $10k to mitigate but it finally took her life this year. Our fourth dog is normal and so far has been affordable. Our cats are fairly cheap.

I have $150 / month in the budget for the 1 dog and 2 cats we have now. Wife is convinced they need special vet food. That ain't cheap. And they get shots and annual checkups that run an additional $750 / year.

10K???? Yikes.

I will be perfectly honest, I love my dogs, but I wouldn't spend that much on a dog.

[ESMonitor]

I used to have a smooth fox terrier. He was an awesome dog and faster than Usain Bolt. Bought him from a registered breeder. There were routine vet visits and that was about it, aside from getting him an occasional toy and buying his pet food and milkbone snacks. He would have preferred to eat a cat.

It wasn't easy but I ended up giving him away to a better home in the country because that kind of dog needs land and space to run, and I wasn't able to give him what he deserved in that respect.

If you get a dog aside from the expenses keep in mind the environment you will be giving him or her and the love and maintenance they will need.

Currently, I have a cylinder bird feeder on my balcony and I have loyal following of birds that visit daily. I consider them my pets. The cardinals are my favorites. I spend I think $16 a month for a bag of seed and they mow it down. I have a humming bird feeder too, but no hummers noted yet.

[TexasHusker]

My neighbor pays someone to come pick up the poo poo once a week. Not sure what the costs but I would change him a lot to do it.

[LivingAlmostLarge]

Um really expensive. Two Bichons and both had cancer and both had chemo and both probably cost $10k plus in treatments and all care. Well the first one the second one right now is probably in for $7-8k. Not counting preventative care all the years, boarding, grooming, food, etc. Bichons are known for allergies so special food/diet. Did I mention that renting with dogs are PIA? That's it's sometimes impossible. We've done a lot of crazy rentals paying a premium now even to keep our dog.

We've always had dogs DH has only lived without a dog for maybe 18 months. When this current one we have passes I think we'll take a break. I can tell he's feeling a little sad and says he wants no more dogs. We'll see. The kids adore it and we're used to having a friend. Personally I admit I do most of the care, but it does let me have time alone every morning and night to walk him.

[sv2007]

Once you start thinking about how much a pet is costing you, you should not be owning it because you may not be getting the other (priceless) benefits from owning it.

[bjl584]

1 Chocolate Lab.

I never sat down and tried to figure out how much he costs. I can afford him and he is part of the family. So, no price tag needs to be attached.

[disneysteve]

Once you start thinking about how much a pet is costing you, you should not be owning it because you may not be getting the other (priceless) benefits from owning it.

I understand what you're getting at but this is a personal finance site. It's important to understand and accept that getting a pet is a luxury purchase. As with all luxuries, there's nothing at all wrong with having them if you can afford them. If you operate on a budget, it's important to include the costs of pet care in that budget.

So if you aren't thinking about how much your pet costs you, you really need to be. It doesn't mean you will enjoy your pet any less. In fact, you might enjoy it even more knowing that you can comfortably afford the costs without negatively impacting your overall financial situation.

Far too many people have pets that they really can't afford. We see it here all the time. People who are struggling come looking for help, post their budgets, and reveal that they are spending a stupid amount of money on pet care (relative to their finances). I've know a few people like this myself.

[parafly]

I have a 7 year old black lab.

Routine annual check ups, food, and boarding cost me about $1K per year.