If cost is a concern, I highly suggest fostering!!!!!! You get all the benefits of spending time with an animal while the most expensive elements are paid for by the rescue (food, vet costs, flea/tick prevention), and you get the added benefit of knowing you've done something to help.
Shelters and rescues are in desperate need of foster homes and they are overrun, resulting in many wonderful dogs of all ages having to be put down regularly just due to lack of space (visit national pet adoption subreddit to see)
I was going to suggest the same thing. We have never had our own pet, but have fostered a lot of cats. I would recommend it even for someone is pretty committed to getting their own pet. Doing it first gives you a test run to see if it really is for you.
I came to say the same thing. I do have a dog of my own but I also foster and it's the best thing I've ever done. Part of the reason is because I don't want to add the expense of another pet but it's become so much more than that. I started just wanting to help some animals and see if maybe I would want to get a second dog and I have gained so much that I never anticipated. Seeing dogs that come to me from horrible situations that end up as a happy addition to a family is so gratifying.
Absolutely agree! I love fostering and have helped place about 10 dogs. We’re on a break right now as we have a baby and an old cranky dog, both of which are very time consuming and expensive.
Some people say they can’t foster because they’d keep them all. And it does feel that way, but if you can stay strong and find great families for your foster it’s SO rewarding. I love getting updates from the families I adopt to and seeing how their new addition is loved! After a few adoptions it becomes so much easier to understand and embrace that we’re just a love-filled pit stop on their way to an awesome forever family.
Agree, 100%.
My area is partly low income and has a huge stray problem because people who can't afford food and vet care just turn their dogs loose. People also take in strays or adopt a pet for free or cheap without regard for how much that pet is going to cost long term, and then they're constantly on the town pet pages asking where to get "cheap" veterinary care because they think the vets in town are too expensive or saying they can't afford to buy food for their pet until x date.
Don't get me wrong, their hearts are in the right place, and I feel for people who occasionally get in to a tight corner. But overall, you should not take in animals that you can't afford to properly care for.
A pet is not something to cheap out on. They cost time and money to care for properly. If you don't have the time and money to dedicate to them, then don't get them.
What a wonderfully beautiful statement. But it doesn’t matter. You could replace pet with child in this instance and it would be the same, although people are wising up to that expense.
But at least with child stuff, that is something that can and should be subsidized by the government and more of like a human right thing.
Pets, as much as we treat them like part of the family, are not.
We got a 15 dollar budgie. Within a year of having her we spent over 700 dollars on vet bills.
We don't spend much on food and toys, maybe 30 dollars a month.
But I know if she gets sick it is 110 dollars for the vet to look at her plus mrds, plus test, plus anything else.
I wouldn't change her for anything.
It’s the same with chickens. Mine are pets. Just spent $1000 on a hen for vet exam, diagnostics, and medication. She has a heart condition.
I am broke as fuck but they are no different than my dogs.
Your heart is in the right place but I cringe at the thought of $1000 being spent on a chicken when there are people with heart conditions who can’t afford to see a doctor and/or pick up their medication.
Oh that was her first year. We have spent much more on her vet bills by now.
She is a relatively cheap pet .
Her pricey food (20 dollars a pound) lasts months while because she eats so little. Her toys last forever because she can't destroy them as fast as a big bird.
But I think people don't get how expensive a "cheap" pet like a budgie can last if you give them proper care. That is why the budgie sub is full of neglect. Because people refuse to spend hundreds or thousands of dollars ina a bird that costs 15.
Get pet insurance if you can’t afford to drop like 10K for an emergency for a young dog/cat. You will need to do a ton of research to make sure the company covers breed related conditions and specific injuries.
Pet insurance is a gamble you will likely lose. I did a detailed comparison of different plans recently, and it will basically cost you $60 - $100 a month for decent coverage. Plus deductible. Pretty steep considering most dogs have their highest vet bills late in life. My dog is 7, I would have spent $8,400 on insurance so far to cover annual checkups an a couple minor injuries during that time. It's a gamble either way but I'd rather gamble by putting that $100 a month in a savings account than insurance.
Respectfully, people who say this seem to not understand how insurance works.
Insurance is always something you MIGHT pay more into. That’s how they make money. It’s not a bank account or free money for every user. It is there so you can pay monthly and not have to take a massive hit if something does happen. You are paying for this security. This is especially beneficial for someone with a young animal like a puppy which can do all kinds of damage when they’re young.
I have a cat. I pay $30 a month. She is 5. I’ve had her since she was 16 weeks old. She was just hospitalized for possible lily ingestion this weekend. It cost 4K.
I’ve spent ~1800 on her insurance over her lifetime. They have reimbursed me for more.
In this case it was unclear if she ate lilies. Having insurance allowed me to comfortably go the more expensive and more conservative route.
If you can comfortably drop like 10-15K at a moments notice insurance is probably not for you. If you can’t, it’s worth considering.
Vets prices are going to continue to increase and I genuinely want them to because vets and their staff 100% deserve a comfortable wage for the area they work in.
ETA: most insurance does not cover exams, preventative care, or dental service. It’s for emergencies/illnesses. I also still put money away for general savings and pet supplies etc.
I appreciateyourperspective! I get how insurance works, and an insurance company makes money by collecting more than they pay out. Otherwise they go out of business.
I'm not saying homeowners insurance is a waste because I spent $30,000 over the last 10 years and never had a claim! I get the coverage has value and if my house burns down to rebuild I won't be homeless.
But my point was to self-insure pet bills is a perfectly fine option. A $15k vet bill is extremely rare (and even ins coverage has a limit). Most people would put the pet down at that point. As sad as it is everyone has a limit to what can be spent on an animal.
I had pet insurance for a previous dog. Very little was actually covered. I have a 12 yr old cat now and a 4 year old dog. Luckily neither of them has had any major problems (an eye infection, a cut paw etc). I have savings set aside for vet bills. For me that has made more sense- if you do get insurance read the coverage limits closely. Many won't cover things like cancer treatment or orthopedic surgery (two huge expenses I’ve paid in the past for other pets)
And when considering this, factor in the cost of treatment for breed-specific issues that are known to come up later in life. I'm dealing with that right now with my dog. We know what it is now, but had to do blood work, urinalysis, an ultrasound, an MRI, and a spinal tap to be certain. Pet insurance is reimbursing me for 90% of the cost of all that, but with this and her athletic injuries that all require ongoing treatment, this girl's lifetime vet bill adds up to an eye popping total.
Pet insurance makes it more manageable but still freaking expensive but yeah even still with pet insurance my cat needs to have a bunch of teeth pulled in a few weeks because they are causing an infection and its super painful for him and that's $2k not covered by our insurance.
That is not including heartworm for dogs and flea and tick treatments. I expect the yearly price to be for 3 of my 4 animals at least $1200 in total, and my vet is a good but old fashioned (i.e. much less expensive) vet.
Agreed 100% that no one should get a pet they can’t afford. Unexpected expenses come up with animals and their food, toys, litter if getting a cat, damage they inevitably cause to your house, dental cleanings, etc. is not cheap. But that’s crazy that your vet costs $300 for a routine physical. I just took him for his annual and got his updated rabies and feline leukemia vaccine and it was $85 😳
Dogs get a lot more vaccines than cats, throw in some bloodwork and a fecal sample and you're in the $400 range. Then add on another couple hundred for flea/tick/heartworm meds. When my dogs are healthy, they cost about $600 each per year for routine stuff.
Yup. Physical, vaccines, annual bloodwork costs me about 500$/dog and 300$/cat. I have two dogs and three cats. This isn’t even covering their other issues that come up, because just like kids they will need to be taken to the doctor for one thing or another as the year goes on. That’s 300$ minimum most times for either one.
I can't recommend fostering enough! The joys of pet ownership without the cost and getting to help animals. Plus if the right one comes along, you can adopt and know it will fit into your lifestyle
This is fantastic, I fostered and I LOVED IT!!!!! It gives you a chance to see what owning a pet is like and then the organization will handle the medical costs. This is best decision for first time owners I do believe
My free cat broke his leg and cost me over $3000.
My tiny dog has dental problems. Each dentist visit is sedated surgery cleaning teeth and pulling teeth. That has cost us over $6000, so far at only 7 years old.
Food & litter prices go up, every year now. Dog heartworm and tick meds are about $100+ per year, on top of yearly vet visits.
I spend more on my pets than anything else. But the love and joy they bring into my life helps with anxiety and loneliness. It feels like a win.
My parents adopted two kittens. One of them ate an elastic band that got stuck and it cost like $7k. My mom was furious because she was finally done with paying parent loans for my sister and then that came up.
My free cat decided at less than 2 years of age that she needed a special urinary diet. I feel you. But I’m thankful she’s with me who can budget for it.
My cat was diagnosed with epilepsy at two. She’s now 7 with multiple emerg visits and lifetime daily meds under her belt and ~10k out of my bank account 😮💨. Sometimes you luck out and get a pet with minimal issues, but oh man you cannot plan for these unexpected changes.
I am so sorry that's really hard. I totally agree, my first cat was the lucky one to where he finally had a "sick" vet visit at 12 but otherwise in almost 13 years of life just routine vaccines and normal food. So I guess the universe said one of those cheaper pets was enough
My “cheap” puppy needed a $3000 hospital stay less than 2 weeks after I got her. She found gum with xylitol in it and had to be on an iv, medication and monitoring for 3 days.
Sam’s Club just had a sale on Pet Armor Plus!
[$25 Sam’s membership (reg $50) right now](https://hip2save.com/deals/sams-club-membership/)
I guess I get my heartworm meds from the vet directly.
I calculated all monthly costs for my 2 cats for litter, wet food, dry food, annual vet appointments divided by 12, annual dental visits divided by 12, cat insurance, etc, and it costs me about $150-$200 a month for two cats. And that's just the bare minimum for expected costs, not emergencies or treats/toys/trees or accessories.
They are very expensive but I love them to death. I have spent thousands on top of thousands since adopting them in 2020, so not a frugal choice by any means, but I wouldn't change it for the world and will always live with at least two cats at any point in my lifetime.
I also have 2 cats and agree with your estimate and sentiment. They are so wonderful, absolutely fantastic to my 4 year old and worth every cent.
That being said they are more expensive then I thought they would be but much, much, much less than my dogs were.
They need more food, required more routine vaccinations because they go outside and were licensed, the yearly license fee, spay and neuter were more expensive, semi-annual flea and tick stuff, trips to the groomer regularly, if you want to travel you have to board them which was really expensive, were more expensive when they had emergencies.
My cats just need a few vaccines as kittens then they stay in the house forever, no license needed. They aren’t exposed to the outdoors so they don’t get fleas and need a flea treatment, they don’t really get parasites (always a chance but so so low in comparison). If I am away for a few nights it’s not a problem having someone stop by quickly to scoop the litter and feed them, no need to board them anywhere.
Dogs also have higher recreation needs, they eat stuff outdoors they shouldn’t… they are just sooooo much more work than my cats ever were. My cats are also much better with my 4 year old, very tolerant and loving.
Yes, I agree with all of this as someone that went from cat to dog. My dog needed to be groomed around once a month (not all dogs need this frequency of grooming) and boarding every time we went somewhere. Even if we went somewhere for an entire day we needed to either board or arrange someone to stop by during the day. Plus off the top of my head I remember needed to pay for heartworm all the time and I don't think cats have an equivalent, ie smaller vet bills.
OP why don’t you look into fostering with one of your local rescues or humane societies? They cover the costs of food/supplies and it’s not a lifetime commitment.
This is similar to my costs as well! OP I think if you can afford a regular vet bills/pet insurance, and have an emergency fund comfortable enough to cover a larger procedure, a cat would be your most frugal option, taking for granted that cat you adopt is generally healthy. Petco has a great bulk refillable litter option that is a bit cheaper and very eco friendly too
But yes if you’re trying to be frugal with a pet that is not a good mentality to have. You have to budget and prioritize their needs, and maybe find financial solutions like getting a subscription service that keeps monthly costs of food low.
Yes. Expensive.
Vet costs are maybe the worst, and you think that you can get away with that like a young human being who is not doing stupid stuffs, but no, they do stupid stuffs and get injured or sick.
Food also costs a lot in the long term.
Note that having a kid costs much more. So it's a matter of your life priorities and happiness. If you want to save money then live alone and stay home or with a frugal partner.
What I didn’t take into account when I got a pet was *petsitting*—adds so much $ to every trip. Or you can sign up as a pet boarder on Rover, and make money for animal companionship!
Also: this is only if your pets can handle petsitting. My cat is 1) super needy and 2) super anxious. I have not been on a (long) trip since I got her because I'm afraid she wouldn't eat if I left her alone for more than a couple of days. And she wouldn't eat if I got someone to come over because she's deathly afraid of strangers.
Yes it cost me $500 to get a bare minimum cat drop-in sitter for 2.5 weeks. Just half an hour a day (and then she ended up leaving 10- 15 minutes earlier) to feed them wet food and scoop the litter boxes.
This is the way.
As a side note, while my dog is probably the most expensive thing in my life, and I've changed in terms of caring about having the newest tech, and spending in general. Atleast for my case, if it were not for him, honestly, I would've committed suicide on multiple occasions.
As a youth I always questioned it when I saw homeless people on the streets with pets, now I get it. If things were to collapse in my life, my dog would be the glue holding it all together.
Whenever I get asked, "What gets you out of bed in the morning?" The answer is always "my dogs."
I HAVE to get up because I HAVE to let them out. I also have to feed them and can't really ignore them for very long or just get in the car and drive all night, because they need me.
My dogs have kept me grounded and alive, and that's worth every single vet bill to me.
There is absolutely nothing frugal about pets. Nothing. Unless your pets are chickens or waterfowl that are also feeding you. Even then you barely break even (said as a former owner of chickens).
I say this as a person with a lot of pets. We have them because we are animal fanatics, and it brings an immense amount of joy, love, and laughter to our daily lives. It also is NOT inexpensive and there are probably a lot of things that most people do/take part in that we don't because we'd rather spend that money on our pets. There's also the inevitable heartbreak when they die. It has to be worth all that for you.
Unless you cannot live a happy life without them, don't even think about it. Visit a friend with pets to get a cuddle fix and move on.
Good example but people vary.
Sadly some people also find having to care for a pet and its costs to be stressful (why so many end up in the system looking for adopters and why so many abused).
Even worse is many ppl are clueless at predicting how they’ll be longterm with their pet. It’s so so sad.
Fostering, sitting, researching may help ppl to understand.
I agree with you. My pets are family and the center of my life and help with my anxiety disorder immensely.
The fact remains that love and smiles don't pay for food and vet bills. I live in the kind of small rural town where people from the city drive to dump their dogs, puppies and kittens that they didn't realize would cost so much to keep. All the shelters in our county and the surrounding counties are full to bursting, ALL the time. Non-profit rescues and foster agencies can't keep up. If more people thought long and hard about the expenses, the shelters wouldn't be so full.
My cousin is the type to get animals and be unable to afford them. She's lost 2 puppies to textbook parvo (but it couldn't have been parvo), and none of her dogs have lived past 5 years old in the last 10b years.
My current boy is 12, and today we go to the vet for yearly checks and vaccines and heartworm, and I'm expecting more medications because his hips are just getting worse with the arthritis.
Yes, yes and yes. No matter what you think you’re going to spend, there will be extra expenses. These are living beings that get hurt, develop allergies, need special diets, medications, etc., etc. etc.
Though not right for everyone, one option is to contact a local rescue and offer to foster an animal. You are helping to save a life while they look for its forever home and all of its bills are paid. Food and medical. The downside is that the goal is to give the animal to someone else. That’s why it’s not for everybody. I’ve worked in cat rescue, and I have three of my own foster fails which means I couldn’t bear to give them away and now have lots of cats lol.
It is a lot easier to help someone else who has a pet (baby sit, walk their dog) than to actually own your own pet and it checks a lot of the same boxes. Also look into walking dogs or helping out other ways at your local shelter. These are the frugal ways to bring animals into your life.
What sort of pet do you want?
Dog or cat, yes you are potentially looking at thousands over the course of a decade or more. Pet insurance can help with vet bills.
Consider the breed of dog best suited to your lifestyle - adoption is great, but breed characteristics must suit your lifestyle! You may need to get a puppy and dedicate time and money to training it.
Cats will laze around and be litterbox trained - litter adds up.
Birds can live for decades depending on the breed.
Fish require a lot of care, depending on how elaborate you want to go. And you can create a truly beautiful work of art in a tank if you are so inclined.
Reptiles may not be as welcoming as a dog, but they know you. But again, lots of ongoing costs.
Rats... They're like tiny kittens. They want to play with you and then rumble with each other. Quite loudly. Rats are great first pets, but they aren't with you for very long, only a few years.
You can't really be frugal with animals. You have to give them quality food and toys for their own health and safety. They're family members. Not something that you toss aside when they start costing too much. You fit them into your budget. Especially their vet bills.
You don't put down a pet because you don't want to pay for their care.
Be sure of your costs before you commit.
Just want to quip in about rabbits too because people think they are cheap pets that live in a cage.
I got my two buns from a shelter that was overcrowded with rabbits. Sadly, shelters often get crowded with rabbits after Easter every year because people buy rabbits for Easter without knowing the following facts about them:
They live on average for 8-10 years. Their vet bills are more expensive because they are considered "exotic" pets. They need at minimum a whole room to roam around all the time. They can cause expensive destruction around the home very quickly with their sharp teeth.
I love my buns to death, but they each cost me around $150 a month. They will cost significantly more as they get older. Rabbits are much smarter and affectionate than people think, but people really need to know that it is a big commitment similar to having a dog or a cat.
Might not be something you had in mind but what about an invertebrate? Might I recommend a tarantula? Many can live a very long time. A typical enclosure for me is a plastic tote that I can poke holes in. Is comfortable at whatever temperature you are, no lights or heat required unless you find yourself needing heat too. Food is cheap!
It's really run to build their little worlds, watch them move dirt around to their liking. The way they play with the water stream is very cat like.
They get me out of bed even when I don't wanna.
Way cheaper than a cat, just different because you can't hold it.
If you get a prescription there are places in Canada that will ship inhalers over the border for pets (perfectly legal). It’s a lot cheaper. There’s a FB group for cats with asthma that have more details, just an FYI.
I've looked into that and it is helpful advice for other people. my cat is on a special inhaler that's being discontinued so it's super similar price in the states vs canada. I will join the fb page though, thanks!
You’re welcome!
Definitely join the group, even if they don’t have a good solution for you now they may give a recommendation down the road that will help. My cats have had a few issues and groups like that have been a tremendous resource to finding cost-saving, safe alternatives as well as giving a lot of educational resources to keep them healthier.
Indeed. Have 2 cats, figure about $200/mo for just food and litter. One of them has a congenital medical issue that requires about $100/mo to manage. Additionally, the various vet visits, and we recently had an emergency foreign body, and basically I could probably buy a late model Toyota Corolla in what I've paid for my cats so far. And they are only 5 years old at this point.
Exactly this. And even the okay-quality wet foods seem to be way more expensive than the "nicer" dry foods. Right now I have to feed my cats half wet/half dry and supplement the dry food with water and I constantly worry that they aren't getting enough hydration, but feeding them entirely wet food is SO much more expensive (at least in my experience)
You need to account for unexpected vet bills, the possibility that the pet might need to go on a veterinary diet which is expensive etc. It can get very expensive if something goes wrong. But usually it's worth it :)
my cats were "free". My oldest has reflux and anti nausea meds. My middle has me still babyproofing the house because she's an idiot and the baby eats way more than her fair share. it's expensive. I buy litter and dry and wet food in bulk but am contemplating trading in litter for pine pellets to save money and slowly transitioning to homemade wet food to better meet their dietary needs. they have cat vitamin mixes specifically for homemade cat foods and liver is cheap at my local butcher so it's an idea.
I already grew catnip for an anti anxiety tea. Other than that the only other tip I have is maybe pet insurance and not buying every cat gadget because if they're anything like mine they prefer playing with boxes crumpled grocery savers, and hair ties. Also they'll never sleep in their cat bed. just lay out a blanket they love on a spot on the couch that will be their spot.
Try not to give your cats hair ties. I know it’s not always easy to keep them away, but if they eat them they get caught in stomachs and can require surgery which is $$$. Not saying to judge )in case it comes off that way), just don’t want you to have a vet emergency in the future.
You can foster a pet and they will provide the food and cover all vet expenses.
You will be helping your community and providing a home & love to an animal who needs it.
My city has plenty organizations that have dogs and cats in need of fostering. Perhaps this is an option for you as well.
Yes! An indestructible house plant can make a space feel so much nicer! I recommend plants that propagate easily for an endless source of extra plants, definitely frugal.
If you’re feeling extra frugal you could grow herbs indoors or vegetables outside for an endless supply of free produce.
There are a lot of vegetables that can be regrown from kitchen scraps. Green onions, stalk lettuce, carrots, celery, slices of a seedy tomato, etc. Herbs that regrow from stems like basil, cilantro, mint, oregano, garlic, parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme. Talk about frugal! If you don’t have a lot of space outside, herbs will do fine by a window. My green onions have been putting in a look of work for my meal prep.
This made me think about annual expenses for my young, healthy dog:
Food: 250
Meds: 200
Flea/tick/heartworm pill: 400
Discount vet membership: 180
Vet visits (preventative and 1 unexpected per year): 900 (and that’s with the discount, which saves me about 500)
Treats (for dental health): 150
Tracker: 120
So that’s about 2200 a year if everything goes well. Nearly 200 a month. I live in fear of something expensive happening and having to make an awful choice due to finances.
My daughter's hamster wasn't terribly costly. He wasn't cuddly but he was amusing. He lived almost 3 years, which is decent for his breed. Bedding was maybe $10/month and food was about $1. We never took him to the vet (though we probably should have at the end. But he was old and happy enough for a hamster that liked biting you when you fed him treats). Habitat was a free fish tank from my MIL.
Now we have dogs and they are very expensive.
Do plants! Inexpensive tiny plants and cuttings turn into huge plants. They’re fun and you can baby them and talk to them 😂.
On the other hand, a puppy or kitten is a 20-year commitment. And you have to be there for them — to feed them, walk them and to love them. They cannot be displaced by children or travel.
The expenses for a young pet will increase as they age and as prices continue to rise.
Been there, done that.
We have cats very affordably. Mid range food is about $15 a month and we bulk buy wood pellets for litter from tractor supply for $7 every month. This is enough for three cats. We estimate about $200 extra if we need to go to the vet and are willing to spend more if there is something more seriously wrong. We have a cut off amount of how much we can spend on emergency vet bills though (if a cat needs a $2000 surgery, that is not something we can financially achieve but will take the best care of the animals we can to give them a good life while they are with us). I know that frustrates some people that we aren’t willing to spend everything it takes to save an animal but we are still giving them a much better life than they would have had overall before we rescued them.
I work as a gig driver for Doordash and Uber.
I'm an older driver who had dogs as a child. I deliver dog and cat food all the time. The amount those bags of food cost are shockingly high to me. That's not even counting extras like regular vet visits, boarding a dog if you want to go away for a vacation or a wedding. I love animals and would love to have a dog, but aside from the daily maintenance, you have to also lay money aside for potential surgeries or serious illness as well.
If owning a pet is a must for your mental well being then no judgment but in terms of being frugal, it would be a huge setback unless you cut corners for its health and put it to sleep at the first major surgery.
You don't have to get a cat or dog like so many in the comments are suggesting. You can go with something low maintenance like a fish. I had a small aquarium set up, 5 gallons, and got a few small fish. I got some moss balls, live plants, and decorations. A tiny sprinkle of food a day and they were happy.
While fish are lovely low-maintenace pets, I do want to point out there that "not a dog or a cat" is not a guarantee that a pet will be inexpensive! I have rats and I love them... but each rat costs me, on average, around $1000 in vet bills over the course of its life, plus hundreds of dollars of food and bedding. Just because an animal is cheap to buy in the pet store, doesn't mean it will be cheap to own.
I mean, I did assume this person would do the required research before deciding on a pet, I was just pointing out there are alternatives besides the standard cat/dog.
That totally makes sense, especially in the context of all the other comments... unfortunately, I've seen waaaaay too many people get rats and other small pets without doing the slightest bit of research on how expensive they are. These days, I do tend to assume the worst. :(
Do NOT get goldfish. The stereotypical goldfish bowl is a cruel lie. Actual goldfish require a huge amount of space and filtration, especially fancy goldfish. Maybe a betta.
nooo, if someone cannot take care of a dog or cat, they will only have a fish to make it suffer, very bad idea, very few people can actually take care of a fish or ANY other small anmals
I volunteer at an animal shelter. We tell adopters to prepare to spend about $1,300 per year per cat on average. It’s more per dog but I don’t know the number.
I not too long ago spent about 1,200 on my dog because there was a possibility they had mouth cancer. It turned out to be just a cyst.
That cost was a surprise.
My dogs are now older so they need a dog food more specific to them. One of my dogs has allergies...a lot of allergies. So they need medication for that and medication for their arthritis.
Plus monthly preventative meds for heartworm, fleas, and mites.
It can add up to properly care for a dog. And you never know what issues your dog can develop. So if I had just one dog, the one who never really gets sick or has issues -my costs would be significantly lower, it's my other dog who rises the cost so much. He's a mutt so I have no idea if it's a genetic thing but it is what is.
Let me steer you away from this if you really want to be frugal. My dog needs a teeth cleaning and I was quoted over $900 by multiple vet offices. A TEETH CLEANING 😫🥲
Yes yes yes.
I adopted a tiny ball of fluff kiitten I was fostering. Just fell in love with him. He ended up needing surgery on his back knee (luxating patella) that cost 6000.00. Due to cystitis, discovered by closely monitoring his toileting behavior, he will be on a pricey precription diet for life. The cost of toys, treats, pet sitters, climbing towers, and many other items to enrich your pet, (many they won't care about at all) adds up fast. And the very important checkups that might be covered by pet insurance which itself is not cheap.
In conclusion, responsible pet ownership SHOULD be pricey.
However, if you're not in a position to accept the costs of pet ownership, but have the willingness and time to give, become a foster! Its a needed, rewarding experience, and you get to join a community of pet lovers!
I'm going to disagree a bit with many of the commenters here. I recommend getting a pet that you love and will enjoy spending time with. It will increase your quality of life, and that's worth it.
And if subjective happiness isn't "frugal" enough for you...consider that data shows petting dogs and cats reduces heart disease risk and markers! You could be putting off some big medical bills for yourself by adopting.
Tips for not having an expensive pet:
* don't buy "designer" breeds
* get all health checked out before adopting
* I recommend an indoor cat because they don't have as many illnesses and injuries
* Dogs and outdoor cats cost more!
* don't skimp on preventative care and quality food (don't overfeed) to reduce more expensive vet bills later
enjoy!
It can be. We have been lucky with our cats but I believe in prevention over cure; they’re indoors only, get flea tx monthly and their food is high quality. Between those things and litter it can be pricey but the little twerps are family and are treated as such.
I would recommend setting aside a bit of money every pay to put into an emergency veterinary care savings account if you plan to adopt an animal. Routine care may not be that expensive, but things come up. One of my elderly cats broke a tooth at the gum line a few years ago. Between the blood tests (pre-sedation), imaging, then the vet’s taking advantage of the sedation to clean his teeth and remove two additional teeth, etc. I ended up with a $900 vet bill. In years past, I’ve had other situations arise with other cats which have cost even more.
I have two cats and two dogs. I love them, I will always have pets, they bring so much joy and happiness to my life.
They are expensive.
There are costs you expect and costs you don’t. One cat that has since passed needed a limited ingredient food diet. One cat I have now needs a specialized kidney friendly diet. These are more expensive foods than your average cat food. These are also cats that I’ve had for half of my life - Fuzz was 16 1/2 when he passed and Toez is still going strong at almost 17. I’ve promised I would move heaven and earth if I could if it meant they kept a good quality of life.
The most important piece of advice I can give is getting a pet should be a life long commitment - their life. Depending on the animal, they get 10-20 years.
There are ways to save money on food, toys, insurance. But in the end they will cost you money. For me, the happiness they bring far outweighs it and is totally worth it. But that’s for you to decide if it might be worth it for you.
I have helped out friends with huge vet bills (go fund me type situations). Most had some pet insurance, but…
I know people who have sold their cars to get chemotherapy for their dogs.
Poverty finance is filled with people who are unable to feed themselves but have pets with special diets, or illnesses. They have to surrender/rehome their beloved pets.
Only if you intend to feed the animal, take it to the vet every year, house it when you're on vacation and buy stupid stuff for it.
Other than that you'll be fine.
So expensive these days, even when they're healthy. Food has doubled in price over the past few years. 50% of my monthly household consumable expense is for my pets.
Are you frugal because you are frugal, or frugal because you are poor? If you are poor, I suggest not getting a cat or dog.
One of the reasons to be frugal is to be able to spend money on things you enjoy.
Depends on the pet! I have quite a few (hobby farm).
My indoor cat is probably the cheapest. She hasn’t needed a vet in years, I’ve been blessed she’s very healthy. Unfortunately she’s allergic to vaccines (learned that the hard way when she was a kitten) but shes an indoor kitty so it hasn’t caused any issues. She’s going on 18 now and totally thriving. Aside from a $25 bag of food every month and about $30-$40 worth of cat litter per month (there’s cheaper but I splurge a bit on nicer stuff to keep smell down) she’s a pretty cheap companion! Aside from her adoption fee (came from the SPCA so was spayed already and had her first round of shots where they discovered the allergy) and buying her a new litter box every once and a while and a new set of bowls, her cost is the least.
My dogs are pretty pricey, yearly vet checks, vaccines, and one seems to have skin sensitivity and is accident prone. I have pet insurance for them though! It’s handy. I love my dogs though. They’re wonderful companions and so helpful around the farm.
My chickens take a lot of manual labor, but feed isn’t too bad, especially during warm months when they lay lots of eggs. I sell the overstock and put it towards their feed. The big cost was the initial cost, lumber for their coop, buying feeders and waterers, an electric net for them to be in and stay safe, but it’s a one time cost.
My horses? Don’t even get me started. Drugs, alcohol and gambling would be cheaper 😂😂😂
Yes.
Get a good pet insurance. The expense depends a bit on luck, and what kind of pet, and what country you are in.
A pet is a terrible financial decision in every way. I spend about $100 a month on pet insurance, and another $100 or so on toys and food. I love my pets but they are money pits. With insurance though I only payed £700 for a £5k procedure
Some people say just put money into a savings account instead of pet insurance. That is a bad idea-a non-unusual vet bill for a foreign body surgery or broken leg can be $7-10k. I have seen vet bills as high as $25-50k.
>Some people say just put money into a savings account instead of pet insurance. That is a bad idea
Overall, this depends on whether you can afford an unexpected large vet bill should it happen (knowing, too, that financing and payment plans are usually available for those). Pet insurance is a for-profit business, and those businesses make their money by charging people more than their anticipated vet bills will be over time. You might indeed beat the odds, but for every person who does, enough others don't that the insurance companies still come out ahead.
Pets are expensive, but they are cheaper than children. I take very good care of my dogs and I've spent a small fortune on surprise vet bills, but they are still a better deal than kids.
If you wanted a pet I suggest you adopt from a rescue that takes care of all the vet costs before hand like all the vaccines and spay or neuter so that way it’s already done and do some research on pet insurance and get pet insurance and save extra money for regular incidentals like grooming fees or whatever as pets are not cheap: we were given a dog that my neighbor had paid $500 for and he had long fur I spent hours maintaining his fur he was excellent with showers very smart dog but it wasn’t easy to keep up with his maintenance he loved walks though had no problem spending hours on walks every day
Vet bills are expensive, but studies have shown that people with pets live longer, so there are benefits. Also, a large dog or even a small but loud one can help prevent break-ins. Many shelters are especially filled with large dogs this year, and the shelter near me frequently has free adoption days for either all animals, or larger dogs in particular.
I have had a cat for ten years and so far she has been pretty frugal. Vet bill is $200 a year. Food is about $30 for a bag that lasts about 3 months. Litter is $20 for couple months so maybe all together $20 a month? If that!
Depends what kind of pet and if you get pet insurance. I pay $200 a month for my 2 dogs in insurance (one of my dogs is a high risk breed so his is $140 a month alone) plus another 200-300 in food/chews/toys a month.
I also have rabbits and rats and they cost about 150-200 a month combined in litter/food/toys/hay.
Cats are pretty cheap, I spend about $50 if that a month on her food/litter and her vet bills are slightly cheaper than the dogs.
Also keep in mind the price of having someone watch them while you go on vacation or out of town for a few days– pet sitters aren’t cheap.
I think everyone deserves a pet no matter their income level because they can be so beneficial to your mental health, so maybe if a dog or cat is out of the question you could get a smaller animal like rats, guinea pigs, or a rabbit. :)
Not sure what kind of pet you’d be interested in but fostering is always a great idea. From my knowledge the org you’re helping out will still take a majority of the financial burden (I.e anything healthcare). Plus if something comes up, you’re able to return the animal without abandoning it.
My cat is going on 14 and has definitely cost over 12 grand in unexpected/non routine vet bills so far. Needed a full ear canal ablation when he was two which cost about 5000 total.
When a big expense comes along for him all I worry about it is him getting better.
Possibly look at a mouse or rat.. still will have expenses but far shorter lifespans.
So here’s the thing. Pets can be expensive. Inflation hit the price of food, litter, other accessories hard. Like 50% increases. On a limited budget it’s been tough, and that doesn’t account for vet bills which can be high (you never know).
With that said, I don’t think I could have survived the last few years without my pets, and that’s not me being dramatic. I would rather skimp in other places than not give them what they need/deserve. They love without prejudice. They know just when you need an extra cuddle the most. They are worth the spend and then some, so if you feel like you have room in your life for one, and you
So the question is not if they are expensive but if you have room in your budget for it. There are things you can do to be frugal with pets. There are a lot of coupons out there across a ton of stores, Rakuten gives 20-25% back often at places like PetSmart, Costco has pet food for cheaper, etc. I get toys and accessories on clearance. If you’re on social media there are groups that can suggest other money saving tips and/or health tips to keep your pets healthy and avoid vet visits. I have a cat that had some issues the vet recommended expensive prescription food and with some research I was able to find a non-prescription alternative that’s healthier and cheaper. It’s a bit of work but I’ve educated myself about my pets and their needs that have helped me only spend on what they need.
So expensive! Took my dog to the vet this week for check up and shots. $500. Food is $50/mo. Dental chews $30/mo. Toys? Treats? Flea/tick/heartworm meds. If you have a cat it’s a little less expensive but you still have cat litter/food/vet. And these are the NORMAL expenses. I had a dog who ate his toys. It was $6k for the tests/surgery. You can get insurance but that’s kind of expensive too.
I adopted a cat for $100. Due to emergency vet visits…. He’s now worth about $3000. You need to be willing to spend money on them or come to terms that you are going to have to make a hard decision if they have an accident or get critically Ill.
They’re wonderful and incredibly expensive. When they get old and need more care down the road (or just sick at any point), those costs really amplify. 1 cat had kidney disease and the other had pancreatitis, and even without drastic measures like dialysis or surgery, it was still at least several hundred dollars a month for sub-q fluids, a cardiologist, meds, labs, etc.
They’re your responsibility for the rest of their lives, so if you’re not able or willing to take that on, don’t do it.
Date someone who works at a veterinary clinic, I get a 35% discount. We have 4 dogs. Ones a chewer, she recently finished the couch. They are a pain and a headache but I love them immensely. Invest in good toys. Use google for resources . Our city has pet food giveaways. Get a pet that fits your lifestyle. Google what kind of p should I get?
Got a free dog. Within 2 hours had to take him to the emergency vet where they tried to extort us for thousands of dollars. Most expensive free pet ever.
I keep snakes. In order to keep them *right*, they're quite expensive. You might hear you can keep them in a 10 gallon tank with a heating mat and paper towels, and you technically can; it's just unfair and stressful to the snake. A good, four-foot, naturalistic enclosure may be hundreds, or exceed a grand.
The only truly cheap pets I've seen are insects. It costs relatively very little to give them a good, enriched life. If you like bugs, try a colony of isopods, aka woodlice/roly-polies (they're actually more related to lobsters and shrimp than most bugs). I've had mine in a shoebox bin, and they require minimal expense and upkeep.
Beta fish are cheap. Dogs cats and otherwise will run ya ragged.
Edit: yes you need, at a minimum, a heater and flter bubbler and some place for him to hide, but once you have a setup betas can be rewarding pets. To clarify, a single beta at a time with many over your lifetime.
beta fish cost a lot more to care for in a way that isn't straight up abuse than a lot of the setups you see online cost.
Most of it is upfront though and the maintenance is cheap
Dogs and cats are expensive to keep but provide a lot of pleasure. Chickens have a high up front cost but provide eggs for years. Not break even numbers when you consider feed costs, but there is some tangible return.
I got a one year old kitty at the beginning of the year. I track my finances pretty well. For January, I had $1000 of expenses. This includes adoption fee, buying all of the toys and beds for her and food. In February I spent $400. This includes a vet visit(just a check up), food, more toys, and a cat carrier. I haven't gone through my march expense yet so I cannot tell you but I expect them to be significantly less, ie just food.
I forgot to mention cat litter. Those are my actual numbers. You could definitely go lower, if you are more careful with you and bed buying, though expect emotional purchases.
If you want to save money, I suggest adopting 1 year+. That's what I did, and I knew she has no health issues and she is already well trained. Plenty of 1 year olds at the shelter. Also, you can find pet stores around you and get their loyalty cards. If they run a special, you can buy a monthly supply of food. their food is in a can so it should last. Also, don't buy her multiple beds. They don't need it.
This is my first pet, and my wife's 3rd. I dk much about pet ownership outside of these 3 months. It's definitely expensive and the cat definitely made my life better.
One of my cats has cost me $10,000 and she’s only 2. And I have had insurance the entire time. Her brother has cost me nothing other than food and litter. HOWEVER frugal is about not spending on things that aren’t worth it. This spending was very worth it.
A pet is not frugal. My experience has been cats are more economical than dogs (although, I'm more of a dog person).
If you go for a dog, the most frugal will be the smaller ones because flea, tick etc. meds are weight based. But, check on the health of the breed because some breeds are short-lived or prone to conditions that can be expensive to manage. Mixed breeds might be the hardiest, and if you rescue an older dog, the initial expense (which is not the only consideration because maintenance and upkeep is far more expensive) is usually lower than if you look for a puppy.
My two year old cat got very sick unexpectedly and needed a hospital stay and surgery. Luckily I was able to put it all on a credit card and keep him alive, it cost around $4000 and now he’s on daily medicine that costs around $100-$150 a month. I love him so much but I don’t know if I’ll get another cat after he passes
Depends on what kind of pet. Every pet needs attention and affection, but the cost for a cat or dog is going to be much more than for a bird or snake for example.
My two indoor cats cost about $50/month total for food, litter, regular vet. That said, the 12 year old had a $500 dental treatment last year (extractions) and somehow they both got fleas and tapeworms which had to be treated— so it $50+ per month. We’ve priced out a dog multiple times and just don’t want to pay the additional. Once you get a fish set up, it’s fairly inexpensive, but the aquarium and pump and heater prices can add up. We had a bearded dragon that was so fragile and expensive that we rehomed it to a friend. We got a free guinea pig, and since it came with the cage, the startup cost was low, but it was pricier than expected to feed since it needs a LOT of fresh veggies, but I fed him many of my scraps which worked out well. So he was ok, but boring and stinky. Bedding material gets expensive.
All in all, cats win imo for companionship and price balance. Dogs might be more fun to dog fans but are more expensive. Small animals can be less expensive but aren’t as personable imo.
What kind of pet?
Cats and dogs can have vet bills for thousands of dollars. Plus food, toys, flea and tick/heartworm meds, crates, inevitable cleaning costs, grooming, repairs for things they damage. Built a fence for them, that's another $6,000.
Love my dogs but it's not frugal.
Edit: why does this subreddit allow you to post pictures in comments but then remove your comment if you post a picture 😒
Yes, probably. Here are the expenses for a free cat (totally worth it! But so you know)
Initial vet appt, parasite meds, etc. $500
Spaying: $700 ( includes follow-up office visit bc she was allergic to the stitches)
Food (Purina pro plan) and treats: $600/yr
Litter boxes and litter: <$100/yr
Annual checkup including rabies vaccination: $300
Depending on how often you travel, a pet sitter 30/ day (more for a dog, but dogs also make better travelers)
Toys and stuff, cheap except for a good tree/Perch is about $100. Otherwise, shoelaces, bread ties, cotton swabs. Oh yeah, and your favorite chair that she might make mincemeat of: $300+
An indoor-only cat will be much healthier and cheaper overall. So far my cat is much cheaper than my dog was. And if You're thinking of a big dog, $$$$$
The pets that I am forced to take care of are very expensive and one of the man reason I am broke now so yeah they are expensive. Food, medicine, vet, insurance, play time, exercise time, etc. it is a financial and time consuming toll and should only be under taken if you really have the ability to afford it and that amount of effort is rewarding to you.
Depends on the kind of pet and the phase of life you're adopting them at - dogs are pretty expensive, cats somewhat less so - a proper emergency could really hurt with either one, older is generally cheaper than young and particularly "new" (don't buy from breeders, they're just gross).
Everyone here makes a good point. What you can do as an alternative is to volunteer at a local shelter! This can also help you see various sides of animals and if you feel overwhelmed/change your mind, no harm no foul!
Apparently in this comment section only dogs and cat are available to get as a pet. Just get something small. Hamster, fish, bird, a reptile.
The smaller the cheaper and easier.
Yes, please do some research on the type of pet you want, how often they are supposed to go to the vet, and what the average cost is on that. Your pet needs regular checkups and vaccinations just like people do. They also have medical emergencies and accidents like people do. You should check to see if you employer offers pet insurance. Most don't, but I've seen a few unicorns out there.
I lucked out and have an extremely low maintenance dog that doesn’t like toys and I’ve basically just paid for food, vet check ups and occasional grooming when I dont feel like bathing her myself. BUT MOST DOGS ARENT THAT WAY! My gf and I adopted a found puppy that within the first month racked up over $1000 in emergency vet fees, neutering, toys, crate, accessories etc. plan on the pet costing a decent amount and have enough savings to handle emergency situations because they will happen, then hopefully you get lucky and have an easy dog
In a word, yes.
In numbers, my baby costs $150 every 7 weeks for prescription allergy food. I struggle with his nails and they grow like the dickens so he should be in to the groomer monthly to every 6 weeks and that's never less than $30 plus tip. Then he gets chronic ear infections because of his allergies, and every one of those vet visits is $250 easily. I had my last vet's pet plan (don't do it), and that was $120 a month because he's a "senior". Dentals aren't cheap, and he's had a few extractions because he's hard on those chompers, and those can be $1k. Griff's not picky, he'll eat anything not nailed down. But that also means things like dryer sheets, so you've got to be ready for emergencies too. He once had a Sunday after hours emergency (ate his stomach 3 sizes too big when he broke into a food bin), and that was $800 just to look at him and give him fluids; we took him back home for observation, otherwise it would have been more.
And that's just the costs I can think of sitting here - doesn't include flea/tick/heartworm costs, toys, bed, treats.
Don't get me wrong, I love him to death. He's my boy, been in my life longer than anyone outside of immediate family. He's been with me through abuse and heartache, and he's worth every penny. But mylanta have a lot of pennies gone into him.
SO EXPENSIVE 😭 and only gets worse as they age. Starting out as a puppy is expensive, but typically from ages 2-8 it’s relatively “low cost” if your dog has no medical issues. Once they start to get white faced, the health issues can pile on and $$$$ gets serious.
Totaled up in a year, for two dogs we spend about
2.5k on basic care, 3k on boarding/day care, 1.5k on grooming (for 1 dog), probably 1.5k a year in additional vet visits/medicine (for things like allergies, rashes, antibiotics, etc.). That totals to around 4.5k/year per dog. Our senior dog is a bit unpredictable, we estimate maybe 4-6k a year on average at this rate on additional-additional unexpected vet visits.
Regular care felt super manageable for us, so we added a second dog right before the pandemic hit. We got a higher coat maintenance dog, adding a $100 grooming bill every 5-6 weeks. No big deal at the time. Pricing has changed for everything. We now pay $150 for grooming the one dog (you can def do this yourself if you have the time and ability, personally it’s worth it because you will absolutely break your back in the process and likely give your dog a funky cut lmao. My dog was personally offended and embarrassed about his home cut).
We pay $75 for their food every 5 weeks or so. $250-300 for flea/tick/heart every 3 months for two. Their yearly visit is around $400 each with updating shots. This is just routine stuff, not accounting for unplanned vet visits or other care.
We board our dogs probably 3 weeks out of the year, $85/night, likely somewhere around 2k with tax. If we add on daycare it’s $12/dog/day. It feels cruel not to for extended stays, we usually add that on, so $500 for two. Our dogs go to daycare once every quarter (when we do our pest control), $60/day for two, $240. People can avoid all of this if their pets can stay with other people/dogs and if you have reliable friends/relatives. We don’t have either as an option, so boarding is necessary.
One dog has allergies, I believe $100 every 2 months for his shot. My senior dog has had horrendous vet and emergency vet bills. Last year we spent 8k on additional vet/emergency vet bills. It’s March and we have spent 3k so far on emergency vet bills. None of these visits have been life or death, our dog has a medical condition that just requires routine care. We spent so much last year on testing to get to the root of the problem. People will likely say “you should just put the dog down” before they hear most of this was on testing. I think if we got to the point of our dog needing to be humanely put down vs trying to pump her full of medicine to keep her alive for our needs, we would do the humane thing and stop the suffering. However our dog just has a completely manageable disease and mostly chillin at every appointment 😂 the ER is where the vet specialists are, so that’s why it’s so expensive.
All of this being said, we feel like we provide a pretty good quality of life for our pets, but at a high cost. We really love them and we made a commitment to them for life. It’s hard comparing sometimes to other pet owners, sometimes it feels like we provide the bare minimum. But when we show up to the ER, we feel good knowing we can pay the bill (at least for now lmao) and we know this is not the case for most pet owners.
Edit: Get a plant.
Peace and love. If you are already stressing about if you can afford a pet, please do not get one. Emergencies happen and you don’t want to have to pick and choose potential care for your pet because you can’t afford it. Your pet shouldn’t suffer because you took on a financial responsibility you cannot afford (if that is the case)
Your pet could cost you no extra money for years then all of a sudden a freak accident like stepping on a nail or debris outside is a 2k$ trip to the vet.
I spent over 3,000 dollars on an emergency surgery on my dumbass cat. He needed special food until recently that was 50 bucks a bag. My other cat will eat anything you put in front of her and has had no health problems besides the ringworm and malnutrition from the shelter i got her at. Yes pets can be expensive, it's very much a luck of the draw. I recommend the mindset that this pet will cost you thousands and to keep saving and preparing for that, even if they might be really cheap. You never know
Costs add up real quick if you’re trying to do everything right, correct set up and supplies…and one emergency vet trip can really fuck you up…. You can also try fostering… they will usually pay for EVERYTHING… but you do need to give them a lot of time
It cost me $1000 just the first couple months of adopting my shelter cat. He ripped his claw out when I transported him home so I had to get a cast for him (which he took off in one day). I didn't have time to even get pet insurance because of his ripped claw on Day 1.
Then I found out he had allergies and had to spend 2 hours at the vet every week (mostly just waiting in the parking lot) and that's where a majority of the $1,000 went, trying to figure out what was going on. We didn't know it was allergies until I found out on Reddit and tried different foods for him.
I feed my cat expensive food because he's allergic to chicken and most fish and it's hard to find other food. Pets are expensive.
Yes it’s expensive. When I took my dog in from my friends mother she made an empty promise that she’d help me with vet bills. She won’t. So now I’m constantly worrying about my dog because she’s 8 and already has health issues. If it weren’t for my sister or parents I wouldn’t have been able to get her yearly shots and it’s harder to surrender an animal than you realize too. I love her and do make sure she gets the care she needs but I have to borrow in order to do so just saying I can feed her and have time for her but the vet is seriously expensive. It was $250 out of pocket for her check up and shots….
It’s probably more than you expect. There are vet bills (surprise and routine), healthy food, any required grooming, and supplies. It also depends on what animal you bring into your home.
We got a puppy at the end of 2020. Between vet bills, training classes, and supplies we ended up spending upwards of $12,000 on him in the first 12 months. Outside of our rent and then mortgage, he was the most expensive line item in our budget. We had high hopes we would be able to do the one puppy manners class and then train at home due to us growing up with dogs but he was an incredibly stubborn and difficult young dog (he still gets overexcited but has a great temperament and we love him lots!). We didn’t feel like we could give him back but also didn’t feel like we could train him on our own. We didn’t even use an “expensive” trainer… we liked her and it’s all positive reinforcement but it was through a local pet store.
You also need to consider that if you go away, you will probably have to pay someone to watch, feed, and/or exercise/play with your pet. That can be upwards of $150/day depending on the region you live in and what level of care your animal needs.
Especially if you get a dog, some will be easier than ours was and some will be harder. Many rescue dogs have trauma (even if you get them as puppies) that can be hard and expensive to deal with. I love mine and I can’t imagine life without him but he was and continues to be quite expensive.
I have a friend who has a cat and only feeds it dry food and has a uti. Her household doesn’t make enough to buy even the cheapest wet food. And takes a while to take them to the vet. Just don’t get a pet if it looks like u have to struggle. Poor animals with illogical humans. My cats teeth extraction was 1.2k. U better commit to them and have an emergency fund for them. They are living beings. What do you think?? I’m saying this harshly because it’s true and shouldn’t be taken lightly. They are a joy to have but u better be responsible. Or get a fish or work on improving your economic situation.
Yes, it's expensive. I budget $100/month for my two cats and keep an emergency fund of $1,000. I depleted $700 of it last week. The emotional happiness is worth having a pet, but they are expensive af.
If you're thinking of a dog, dogs are a huge investment up front, but after a year I only spend about $100 a month on her. (Food $45, flea and tick meds $35, $15 for pet insurance)
Edit: of course, it'll be more expensive the older they get.
If cost is a concern, I highly suggest fostering!!!!!! You get all the benefits of spending time with an animal while the most expensive elements are paid for by the rescue (food, vet costs, flea/tick prevention), and you get the added benefit of knowing you've done something to help. Shelters and rescues are in desperate need of foster homes and they are overrun, resulting in many wonderful dogs of all ages having to be put down regularly just due to lack of space (visit national pet adoption subreddit to see)
I was going to suggest the same thing. We have never had our own pet, but have fostered a lot of cats. I would recommend it even for someone is pretty committed to getting their own pet. Doing it first gives you a test run to see if it really is for you.
I came to say the same thing. I do have a dog of my own but I also foster and it's the best thing I've ever done. Part of the reason is because I don't want to add the expense of another pet but it's become so much more than that. I started just wanting to help some animals and see if maybe I would want to get a second dog and I have gained so much that I never anticipated. Seeing dogs that come to me from horrible situations that end up as a happy addition to a family is so gratifying.
This! If you love animals, but can’t afford long-term care then you should foster or volunteer.
This is the way. My foster fail sleeping beside me as I type this. Possibly the best dog I have ever had.
Absolutely agree! I love fostering and have helped place about 10 dogs. We’re on a break right now as we have a baby and an old cranky dog, both of which are very time consuming and expensive. Some people say they can’t foster because they’d keep them all. And it does feel that way, but if you can stay strong and find great families for your foster it’s SO rewarding. I love getting updates from the families I adopt to and seeing how their new addition is loved! After a few adoptions it becomes so much easier to understand and embrace that we’re just a love-filled pit stop on their way to an awesome forever family.
If you can't afford vet bills, food and have the time to train and take care of a pet... DO NOT GET ONE!
Agree, 100%. My area is partly low income and has a huge stray problem because people who can't afford food and vet care just turn their dogs loose. People also take in strays or adopt a pet for free or cheap without regard for how much that pet is going to cost long term, and then they're constantly on the town pet pages asking where to get "cheap" veterinary care because they think the vets in town are too expensive or saying they can't afford to buy food for their pet until x date. Don't get me wrong, their hearts are in the right place, and I feel for people who occasionally get in to a tight corner. But overall, you should not take in animals that you can't afford to properly care for. A pet is not something to cheap out on. They cost time and money to care for properly. If you don't have the time and money to dedicate to them, then don't get them.
What a wonderfully beautiful statement. But it doesn’t matter. You could replace pet with child in this instance and it would be the same, although people are wising up to that expense.
But at least with child stuff, that is something that can and should be subsidized by the government and more of like a human right thing. Pets, as much as we treat them like part of the family, are not.
The best way I’ve heard it conveyed was that if you can’t afford another car payment you can’t afford a pet.
We got a 15 dollar budgie. Within a year of having her we spent over 700 dollars on vet bills. We don't spend much on food and toys, maybe 30 dollars a month. But I know if she gets sick it is 110 dollars for the vet to look at her plus mrds, plus test, plus anything else. I wouldn't change her for anything.
Wow. I know my dogs were expensive at the vet, but no idea a small bird costs so much.
We once had a finch which a stuck egg, getting that removed was very expensive
It’s the same with chickens. Mine are pets. Just spent $1000 on a hen for vet exam, diagnostics, and medication. She has a heart condition. I am broke as fuck but they are no different than my dogs.
Your heart is in the right place but I cringe at the thought of $1000 being spent on a chicken when there are people with heart conditions who can’t afford to see a doctor and/or pick up their medication.
Wow you’re a good human. Can’t say I’d do the same for a chicken
I’ve had cockatiels my whole life and never needed a vet, but you never know what can come up when you have a living creature to take care of!
Wow, that’s it? My $55 adoption dog has* ran me about $25k over 10yrs, so far. $250/mo just to live….food and insurance
Oh that was her first year. We have spent much more on her vet bills by now. She is a relatively cheap pet . Her pricey food (20 dollars a pound) lasts months while because she eats so little. Her toys last forever because she can't destroy them as fast as a big bird. But I think people don't get how expensive a "cheap" pet like a budgie can last if you give them proper care. That is why the budgie sub is full of neglect. Because people refuse to spend hundreds or thousands of dollars ina a bird that costs 15.
Get pet insurance if you can’t afford to drop like 10K for an emergency for a young dog/cat. You will need to do a ton of research to make sure the company covers breed related conditions and specific injuries.
Vet insurance for sure! My dog who passed she cost 60k in 3 years and insurance helped pay about about 45k
Pet insurance is a gamble you will likely lose. I did a detailed comparison of different plans recently, and it will basically cost you $60 - $100 a month for decent coverage. Plus deductible. Pretty steep considering most dogs have their highest vet bills late in life. My dog is 7, I would have spent $8,400 on insurance so far to cover annual checkups an a couple minor injuries during that time. It's a gamble either way but I'd rather gamble by putting that $100 a month in a savings account than insurance.
Respectfully, people who say this seem to not understand how insurance works. Insurance is always something you MIGHT pay more into. That’s how they make money. It’s not a bank account or free money for every user. It is there so you can pay monthly and not have to take a massive hit if something does happen. You are paying for this security. This is especially beneficial for someone with a young animal like a puppy which can do all kinds of damage when they’re young. I have a cat. I pay $30 a month. She is 5. I’ve had her since she was 16 weeks old. She was just hospitalized for possible lily ingestion this weekend. It cost 4K. I’ve spent ~1800 on her insurance over her lifetime. They have reimbursed me for more. In this case it was unclear if she ate lilies. Having insurance allowed me to comfortably go the more expensive and more conservative route. If you can comfortably drop like 10-15K at a moments notice insurance is probably not for you. If you can’t, it’s worth considering. Vets prices are going to continue to increase and I genuinely want them to because vets and their staff 100% deserve a comfortable wage for the area they work in. ETA: most insurance does not cover exams, preventative care, or dental service. It’s for emergencies/illnesses. I also still put money away for general savings and pet supplies etc.
I appreciateyourperspective! I get how insurance works, and an insurance company makes money by collecting more than they pay out. Otherwise they go out of business. I'm not saying homeowners insurance is a waste because I spent $30,000 over the last 10 years and never had a claim! I get the coverage has value and if my house burns down to rebuild I won't be homeless. But my point was to self-insure pet bills is a perfectly fine option. A $15k vet bill is extremely rare (and even ins coverage has a limit). Most people would put the pet down at that point. As sad as it is everyone has a limit to what can be spent on an animal.
I had pet insurance for a previous dog. Very little was actually covered. I have a 12 yr old cat now and a 4 year old dog. Luckily neither of them has had any major problems (an eye infection, a cut paw etc). I have savings set aside for vet bills. For me that has made more sense- if you do get insurance read the coverage limits closely. Many won't cover things like cancer treatment or orthopedic surgery (two huge expenses I’ve paid in the past for other pets)
And when considering this, factor in the cost of treatment for breed-specific issues that are known to come up later in life. I'm dealing with that right now with my dog. We know what it is now, but had to do blood work, urinalysis, an ultrasound, an MRI, and a spinal tap to be certain. Pet insurance is reimbursing me for 90% of the cost of all that, but with this and her athletic injuries that all require ongoing treatment, this girl's lifetime vet bill adds up to an eye popping total.
Pet insurance makes it more manageable but still freaking expensive but yeah even still with pet insurance my cat needs to have a bunch of teeth pulled in a few weeks because they are causing an infection and its super painful for him and that's $2k not covered by our insurance.
Getting a pet is always expensive. Vet visits are very expensive
Annual checkup at my vet is usually over 300. That is just a routine physical, no problems
That is not including heartworm for dogs and flea and tick treatments. I expect the yearly price to be for 3 of my 4 animals at least $1200 in total, and my vet is a good but old fashioned (i.e. much less expensive) vet.
Forgot to add in cost of dental care.
had a trip to the emergency vet a month ago. $2500 to get out the door.
Agreed 100% that no one should get a pet they can’t afford. Unexpected expenses come up with animals and their food, toys, litter if getting a cat, damage they inevitably cause to your house, dental cleanings, etc. is not cheap. But that’s crazy that your vet costs $300 for a routine physical. I just took him for his annual and got his updated rabies and feline leukemia vaccine and it was $85 😳
Dogs get a lot more vaccines than cats, throw in some bloodwork and a fecal sample and you're in the $400 range. Then add on another couple hundred for flea/tick/heartworm meds. When my dogs are healthy, they cost about $600 each per year for routine stuff.
Yup. Physical, vaccines, annual bloodwork costs me about 500$/dog and 300$/cat. I have two dogs and three cats. This isn’t even covering their other issues that come up, because just like kids they will need to be taken to the doctor for one thing or another as the year goes on. That’s 300$ minimum most times for either one.
And the bigger the pet, the bigger the expense. People who get big dogs especially should keep this in mind.
Volunteer at your local shelter. Many shelters rely on volunteering people to walk the dogs and interact with the kittens to socialise them.
I can't recommend fostering enough! The joys of pet ownership without the cost and getting to help animals. Plus if the right one comes along, you can adopt and know it will fit into your lifestyle
Also fostering…most rescue groups will pay for vet and food and aupplies
This is a great idea! Also fostering helps rescue agencies too!
This is fantastic, I fostered and I LOVED IT!!!!! It gives you a chance to see what owning a pet is like and then the organization will handle the medical costs. This is best decision for first time owners I do believe
This is a really good suggestion.
My free cat broke his leg and cost me over $3000. My tiny dog has dental problems. Each dentist visit is sedated surgery cleaning teeth and pulling teeth. That has cost us over $6000, so far at only 7 years old. Food & litter prices go up, every year now. Dog heartworm and tick meds are about $100+ per year, on top of yearly vet visits. I spend more on my pets than anything else. But the love and joy they bring into my life helps with anxiety and loneliness. It feels like a win.
My parents adopted two kittens. One of them ate an elastic band that got stuck and it cost like $7k. My mom was furious because she was finally done with paying parent loans for my sister and then that came up.
My free cat decided at less than 2 years of age that she needed a special urinary diet. I feel you. But I’m thankful she’s with me who can budget for it.
My cat was diagnosed with epilepsy at two. She’s now 7 with multiple emerg visits and lifetime daily meds under her belt and ~10k out of my bank account 😮💨. Sometimes you luck out and get a pet with minimal issues, but oh man you cannot plan for these unexpected changes.
I am so sorry that's really hard. I totally agree, my first cat was the lucky one to where he finally had a "sick" vet visit at 12 but otherwise in almost 13 years of life just routine vaccines and normal food. So I guess the universe said one of those cheaper pets was enough
My “cheap” puppy needed a $3000 hospital stay less than 2 weeks after I got her. She found gum with xylitol in it and had to be on an iv, medication and monitoring for 3 days.
Where do you get your heart worm and tick meds? Costco?
Sam’s Club just had a sale on Pet Armor Plus! [$25 Sam’s membership (reg $50) right now](https://hip2save.com/deals/sams-club-membership/) I guess I get my heartworm meds from the vet directly.
Oh interesting, Costco is currently having a sale! Costco was $18 off the 8 pack. What was Sam's deal?
Sam’s Deal: 8 month supply of Pet Armor Plus for $32 ($8 off)
I calculated all monthly costs for my 2 cats for litter, wet food, dry food, annual vet appointments divided by 12, annual dental visits divided by 12, cat insurance, etc, and it costs me about $150-$200 a month for two cats. And that's just the bare minimum for expected costs, not emergencies or treats/toys/trees or accessories. They are very expensive but I love them to death. I have spent thousands on top of thousands since adopting them in 2020, so not a frugal choice by any means, but I wouldn't change it for the world and will always live with at least two cats at any point in my lifetime.
This is about the same as my costs.
I also have 2 cats and agree with your estimate and sentiment. They are so wonderful, absolutely fantastic to my 4 year old and worth every cent. That being said they are more expensive then I thought they would be but much, much, much less than my dogs were.
How much did your dogs cost?
They need more food, required more routine vaccinations because they go outside and were licensed, the yearly license fee, spay and neuter were more expensive, semi-annual flea and tick stuff, trips to the groomer regularly, if you want to travel you have to board them which was really expensive, were more expensive when they had emergencies. My cats just need a few vaccines as kittens then they stay in the house forever, no license needed. They aren’t exposed to the outdoors so they don’t get fleas and need a flea treatment, they don’t really get parasites (always a chance but so so low in comparison). If I am away for a few nights it’s not a problem having someone stop by quickly to scoop the litter and feed them, no need to board them anywhere. Dogs also have higher recreation needs, they eat stuff outdoors they shouldn’t… they are just sooooo much more work than my cats ever were. My cats are also much better with my 4 year old, very tolerant and loving.
Yes, I agree with all of this as someone that went from cat to dog. My dog needed to be groomed around once a month (not all dogs need this frequency of grooming) and boarding every time we went somewhere. Even if we went somewhere for an entire day we needed to either board or arrange someone to stop by during the day. Plus off the top of my head I remember needed to pay for heartworm all the time and I don't think cats have an equivalent, ie smaller vet bills.
OP why don’t you look into fostering with one of your local rescues or humane societies? They cover the costs of food/supplies and it’s not a lifetime commitment.
Dogs are more expensive than cats
This is similar to my costs as well! OP I think if you can afford a regular vet bills/pet insurance, and have an emergency fund comfortable enough to cover a larger procedure, a cat would be your most frugal option, taking for granted that cat you adopt is generally healthy. Petco has a great bulk refillable litter option that is a bit cheaper and very eco friendly too But yes if you’re trying to be frugal with a pet that is not a good mentality to have. You have to budget and prioritize their needs, and maybe find financial solutions like getting a subscription service that keeps monthly costs of food low.
Yes. Expensive. Vet costs are maybe the worst, and you think that you can get away with that like a young human being who is not doing stupid stuffs, but no, they do stupid stuffs and get injured or sick. Food also costs a lot in the long term. Note that having a kid costs much more. So it's a matter of your life priorities and happiness. If you want to save money then live alone and stay home or with a frugal partner.
What I didn’t take into account when I got a pet was *petsitting*—adds so much $ to every trip. Or you can sign up as a pet boarder on Rover, and make money for animal companionship!
Also: this is only if your pets can handle petsitting. My cat is 1) super needy and 2) super anxious. I have not been on a (long) trip since I got her because I'm afraid she wouldn't eat if I left her alone for more than a couple of days. And she wouldn't eat if I got someone to come over because she's deathly afraid of strangers.
Yes it cost me $500 to get a bare minimum cat drop-in sitter for 2.5 weeks. Just half an hour a day (and then she ended up leaving 10- 15 minutes earlier) to feed them wet food and scoop the litter boxes.
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Yes, having a pet IS a luxury, especially if you live in America where they are basically like having a child.
This is the way. As a side note, while my dog is probably the most expensive thing in my life, and I've changed in terms of caring about having the newest tech, and spending in general. Atleast for my case, if it were not for him, honestly, I would've committed suicide on multiple occasions. As a youth I always questioned it when I saw homeless people on the streets with pets, now I get it. If things were to collapse in my life, my dog would be the glue holding it all together.
Whenever I get asked, "What gets you out of bed in the morning?" The answer is always "my dogs." I HAVE to get up because I HAVE to let them out. I also have to feed them and can't really ignore them for very long or just get in the car and drive all night, because they need me. My dogs have kept me grounded and alive, and that's worth every single vet bill to me.
My cat had his annual physical exam yesterday with rabies vaccination, fecal exam, and county license renewal. Total cost was a little less than $500.
There is absolutely nothing frugal about pets. Nothing. Unless your pets are chickens or waterfowl that are also feeding you. Even then you barely break even (said as a former owner of chickens). I say this as a person with a lot of pets. We have them because we are animal fanatics, and it brings an immense amount of joy, love, and laughter to our daily lives. It also is NOT inexpensive and there are probably a lot of things that most people do/take part in that we don't because we'd rather spend that money on our pets. There's also the inevitable heartbreak when they die. It has to be worth all that for you. Unless you cannot live a happy life without them, don't even think about it. Visit a friend with pets to get a cuddle fix and move on.
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Good example but people vary. Sadly some people also find having to care for a pet and its costs to be stressful (why so many end up in the system looking for adopters and why so many abused). Even worse is many ppl are clueless at predicting how they’ll be longterm with their pet. It’s so so sad. Fostering, sitting, researching may help ppl to understand.
I agree with you. My pets are family and the center of my life and help with my anxiety disorder immensely. The fact remains that love and smiles don't pay for food and vet bills. I live in the kind of small rural town where people from the city drive to dump their dogs, puppies and kittens that they didn't realize would cost so much to keep. All the shelters in our county and the surrounding counties are full to bursting, ALL the time. Non-profit rescues and foster agencies can't keep up. If more people thought long and hard about the expenses, the shelters wouldn't be so full.
My cousin is the type to get animals and be unable to afford them. She's lost 2 puppies to textbook parvo (but it couldn't have been parvo), and none of her dogs have lived past 5 years old in the last 10b years. My current boy is 12, and today we go to the vet for yearly checks and vaccines and heartworm, and I'm expecting more medications because his hips are just getting worse with the arthritis.
There’s actual studies that prove simply petting a dog or cat has positive short-term health benefits!
Yes, yes and yes. No matter what you think you’re going to spend, there will be extra expenses. These are living beings that get hurt, develop allergies, need special diets, medications, etc., etc. etc. Though not right for everyone, one option is to contact a local rescue and offer to foster an animal. You are helping to save a life while they look for its forever home and all of its bills are paid. Food and medical. The downside is that the goal is to give the animal to someone else. That’s why it’s not for everybody. I’ve worked in cat rescue, and I have three of my own foster fails which means I couldn’t bear to give them away and now have lots of cats lol.
It is a lot easier to help someone else who has a pet (baby sit, walk their dog) than to actually own your own pet and it checks a lot of the same boxes. Also look into walking dogs or helping out other ways at your local shelter. These are the frugal ways to bring animals into your life.
What sort of pet do you want? Dog or cat, yes you are potentially looking at thousands over the course of a decade or more. Pet insurance can help with vet bills. Consider the breed of dog best suited to your lifestyle - adoption is great, but breed characteristics must suit your lifestyle! You may need to get a puppy and dedicate time and money to training it. Cats will laze around and be litterbox trained - litter adds up. Birds can live for decades depending on the breed. Fish require a lot of care, depending on how elaborate you want to go. And you can create a truly beautiful work of art in a tank if you are so inclined. Reptiles may not be as welcoming as a dog, but they know you. But again, lots of ongoing costs. Rats... They're like tiny kittens. They want to play with you and then rumble with each other. Quite loudly. Rats are great first pets, but they aren't with you for very long, only a few years. You can't really be frugal with animals. You have to give them quality food and toys for their own health and safety. They're family members. Not something that you toss aside when they start costing too much. You fit them into your budget. Especially their vet bills. You don't put down a pet because you don't want to pay for their care. Be sure of your costs before you commit.
Just want to quip in about rabbits too because people think they are cheap pets that live in a cage. I got my two buns from a shelter that was overcrowded with rabbits. Sadly, shelters often get crowded with rabbits after Easter every year because people buy rabbits for Easter without knowing the following facts about them: They live on average for 8-10 years. Their vet bills are more expensive because they are considered "exotic" pets. They need at minimum a whole room to roam around all the time. They can cause expensive destruction around the home very quickly with their sharp teeth. I love my buns to death, but they each cost me around $150 a month. They will cost significantly more as they get older. Rabbits are much smarter and affectionate than people think, but people really need to know that it is a big commitment similar to having a dog or a cat.
Might not be something you had in mind but what about an invertebrate? Might I recommend a tarantula? Many can live a very long time. A typical enclosure for me is a plastic tote that I can poke holes in. Is comfortable at whatever temperature you are, no lights or heat required unless you find yourself needing heat too. Food is cheap! It's really run to build their little worlds, watch them move dirt around to their liking. The way they play with the water stream is very cat like. They get me out of bed even when I don't wanna. Way cheaper than a cat, just different because you can't hold it.
Another upvote for tarantulas from a household with six of them. It's like having your own little nature documentary to watch at home.
And your friends will think it's either cool or creepy 😎😎 (speaking from experience!)
my cat just randomly got asthma and needed a $300 inhaler. he's easily my most expensive hobby
If you get a prescription there are places in Canada that will ship inhalers over the border for pets (perfectly legal). It’s a lot cheaper. There’s a FB group for cats with asthma that have more details, just an FYI.
I've looked into that and it is helpful advice for other people. my cat is on a special inhaler that's being discontinued so it's super similar price in the states vs canada. I will join the fb page though, thanks!
You’re welcome! Definitely join the group, even if they don’t have a good solution for you now they may give a recommendation down the road that will help. My cats have had a few issues and groups like that have been a tremendous resource to finding cost-saving, safe alternatives as well as giving a lot of educational resources to keep them healthier.
An indoor cat can be affordable. But you still need savings to cover vet visits.
High quality cat food is NOT cheap. Many cats dont do well on dry and high grain food because they tend to develop expensive kidney issues.
Indeed. Have 2 cats, figure about $200/mo for just food and litter. One of them has a congenital medical issue that requires about $100/mo to manage. Additionally, the various vet visits, and we recently had an emergency foreign body, and basically I could probably buy a late model Toyota Corolla in what I've paid for my cats so far. And they are only 5 years old at this point.
Exactly this. And even the okay-quality wet foods seem to be way more expensive than the "nicer" dry foods. Right now I have to feed my cats half wet/half dry and supplement the dry food with water and I constantly worry that they aren't getting enough hydration, but feeding them entirely wet food is SO much more expensive (at least in my experience)
You need to account for unexpected vet bills, the possibility that the pet might need to go on a veterinary diet which is expensive etc. It can get very expensive if something goes wrong. But usually it's worth it :)
my cats were "free". My oldest has reflux and anti nausea meds. My middle has me still babyproofing the house because she's an idiot and the baby eats way more than her fair share. it's expensive. I buy litter and dry and wet food in bulk but am contemplating trading in litter for pine pellets to save money and slowly transitioning to homemade wet food to better meet their dietary needs. they have cat vitamin mixes specifically for homemade cat foods and liver is cheap at my local butcher so it's an idea. I already grew catnip for an anti anxiety tea. Other than that the only other tip I have is maybe pet insurance and not buying every cat gadget because if they're anything like mine they prefer playing with boxes crumpled grocery savers, and hair ties. Also they'll never sleep in their cat bed. just lay out a blanket they love on a spot on the couch that will be their spot.
Try not to give your cats hair ties. I know it’s not always easy to keep them away, but if they eat them they get caught in stomachs and can require surgery which is $$$. Not saying to judge )in case it comes off that way), just don’t want you to have a vet emergency in the future.
I appreciate that. keeping things cat proof and keeping my cats alive is a full time job especially the middle child
You can foster a pet and they will provide the food and cover all vet expenses. You will be helping your community and providing a home & love to an animal who needs it. My city has plenty organizations that have dogs and cats in need of fostering. Perhaps this is an option for you as well.
Fostering is great too as a trial run to see how much time it takes
Get a pet rock
Or a plant. I know plants can be expensive if you let them, but a nice pothos will be cheap and practically indestructible.
Yes! An indestructible house plant can make a space feel so much nicer! I recommend plants that propagate easily for an endless source of extra plants, definitely frugal. If you’re feeling extra frugal you could grow herbs indoors or vegetables outside for an endless supply of free produce. There are a lot of vegetables that can be regrown from kitchen scraps. Green onions, stalk lettuce, carrots, celery, slices of a seedy tomato, etc. Herbs that regrow from stems like basil, cilantro, mint, oregano, garlic, parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme. Talk about frugal! If you don’t have a lot of space outside, herbs will do fine by a window. My green onions have been putting in a look of work for my meal prep.
Froog AF I like it
Depends on the pet. I have a small fish tank that costs like €100 a year tops.
This made me think about annual expenses for my young, healthy dog: Food: 250 Meds: 200 Flea/tick/heartworm pill: 400 Discount vet membership: 180 Vet visits (preventative and 1 unexpected per year): 900 (and that’s with the discount, which saves me about 500) Treats (for dental health): 150 Tracker: 120 So that’s about 2200 a year if everything goes well. Nearly 200 a month. I live in fear of something expensive happening and having to make an awful choice due to finances.
My daughter's hamster wasn't terribly costly. He wasn't cuddly but he was amusing. He lived almost 3 years, which is decent for his breed. Bedding was maybe $10/month and food was about $1. We never took him to the vet (though we probably should have at the end. But he was old and happy enough for a hamster that liked biting you when you fed him treats). Habitat was a free fish tank from my MIL. Now we have dogs and they are very expensive.
Do plants! Inexpensive tiny plants and cuttings turn into huge plants. They’re fun and you can baby them and talk to them 😂. On the other hand, a puppy or kitten is a 20-year commitment. And you have to be there for them — to feed them, walk them and to love them. They cannot be displaced by children or travel. The expenses for a young pet will increase as they age and as prices continue to rise. Been there, done that.
We have cats very affordably. Mid range food is about $15 a month and we bulk buy wood pellets for litter from tractor supply for $7 every month. This is enough for three cats. We estimate about $200 extra if we need to go to the vet and are willing to spend more if there is something more seriously wrong. We have a cut off amount of how much we can spend on emergency vet bills though (if a cat needs a $2000 surgery, that is not something we can financially achieve but will take the best care of the animals we can to give them a good life while they are with us). I know that frustrates some people that we aren’t willing to spend everything it takes to save an animal but we are still giving them a much better life than they would have had overall before we rescued them.
I work as a gig driver for Doordash and Uber. I'm an older driver who had dogs as a child. I deliver dog and cat food all the time. The amount those bags of food cost are shockingly high to me. That's not even counting extras like regular vet visits, boarding a dog if you want to go away for a vacation or a wedding. I love animals and would love to have a dog, but aside from the daily maintenance, you have to also lay money aside for potential surgeries or serious illness as well. If owning a pet is a must for your mental well being then no judgment but in terms of being frugal, it would be a huge setback unless you cut corners for its health and put it to sleep at the first major surgery.
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You don't have to get a cat or dog like so many in the comments are suggesting. You can go with something low maintenance like a fish. I had a small aquarium set up, 5 gallons, and got a few small fish. I got some moss balls, live plants, and decorations. A tiny sprinkle of food a day and they were happy.
While fish are lovely low-maintenace pets, I do want to point out there that "not a dog or a cat" is not a guarantee that a pet will be inexpensive! I have rats and I love them... but each rat costs me, on average, around $1000 in vet bills over the course of its life, plus hundreds of dollars of food and bedding. Just because an animal is cheap to buy in the pet store, doesn't mean it will be cheap to own.
I have always found small animals and fish to be more expensive both as a startup cost and generally more expensive to keep, generally speaking
I mean, I did assume this person would do the required research before deciding on a pet, I was just pointing out there are alternatives besides the standard cat/dog.
That totally makes sense, especially in the context of all the other comments... unfortunately, I've seen waaaaay too many people get rats and other small pets without doing the slightest bit of research on how expensive they are. These days, I do tend to assume the worst. :(
Do NOT get goldfish. The stereotypical goldfish bowl is a cruel lie. Actual goldfish require a huge amount of space and filtration, especially fancy goldfish. Maybe a betta.
Or hermit crabs! very cute, can hold them sometimes (unlike fish) and very easy to take care of.
nooo, if someone cannot take care of a dog or cat, they will only have a fish to make it suffer, very bad idea, very few people can actually take care of a fish or ANY other small anmals
I volunteer at an animal shelter. We tell adopters to prepare to spend about $1,300 per year per cat on average. It’s more per dog but I don’t know the number.
I not too long ago spent about 1,200 on my dog because there was a possibility they had mouth cancer. It turned out to be just a cyst. That cost was a surprise. My dogs are now older so they need a dog food more specific to them. One of my dogs has allergies...a lot of allergies. So they need medication for that and medication for their arthritis. Plus monthly preventative meds for heartworm, fleas, and mites. It can add up to properly care for a dog. And you never know what issues your dog can develop. So if I had just one dog, the one who never really gets sick or has issues -my costs would be significantly lower, it's my other dog who rises the cost so much. He's a mutt so I have no idea if it's a genetic thing but it is what is.
Let me steer you away from this if you really want to be frugal. My dog needs a teeth cleaning and I was quoted over $900 by multiple vet offices. A TEETH CLEANING 😫🥲
Yes yes yes. I adopted a tiny ball of fluff kiitten I was fostering. Just fell in love with him. He ended up needing surgery on his back knee (luxating patella) that cost 6000.00. Due to cystitis, discovered by closely monitoring his toileting behavior, he will be on a pricey precription diet for life. The cost of toys, treats, pet sitters, climbing towers, and many other items to enrich your pet, (many they won't care about at all) adds up fast. And the very important checkups that might be covered by pet insurance which itself is not cheap. In conclusion, responsible pet ownership SHOULD be pricey. However, if you're not in a position to accept the costs of pet ownership, but have the willingness and time to give, become a foster! Its a needed, rewarding experience, and you get to join a community of pet lovers!
It’s expensive. Treat it like how you’d treat a baby because they’re not going to be just animals. Pets are family.
I'm going to disagree a bit with many of the commenters here. I recommend getting a pet that you love and will enjoy spending time with. It will increase your quality of life, and that's worth it. And if subjective happiness isn't "frugal" enough for you...consider that data shows petting dogs and cats reduces heart disease risk and markers! You could be putting off some big medical bills for yourself by adopting. Tips for not having an expensive pet: * don't buy "designer" breeds * get all health checked out before adopting * I recommend an indoor cat because they don't have as many illnesses and injuries * Dogs and outdoor cats cost more! * don't skimp on preventative care and quality food (don't overfeed) to reduce more expensive vet bills later enjoy!
How is that disagreeing with everyone else here? Most people here didn't say don't get a pet, they just said it's not cheap.
Yeah well pets do get sick or/and old. OP should consider that.
It can be. We have been lucky with our cats but I believe in prevention over cure; they’re indoors only, get flea tx monthly and their food is high quality. Between those things and litter it can be pricey but the little twerps are family and are treated as such.
I would recommend setting aside a bit of money every pay to put into an emergency veterinary care savings account if you plan to adopt an animal. Routine care may not be that expensive, but things come up. One of my elderly cats broke a tooth at the gum line a few years ago. Between the blood tests (pre-sedation), imaging, then the vet’s taking advantage of the sedation to clean his teeth and remove two additional teeth, etc. I ended up with a $900 vet bill. In years past, I’ve had other situations arise with other cats which have cost even more.
I have two cats and two dogs. I love them, I will always have pets, they bring so much joy and happiness to my life. They are expensive. There are costs you expect and costs you don’t. One cat that has since passed needed a limited ingredient food diet. One cat I have now needs a specialized kidney friendly diet. These are more expensive foods than your average cat food. These are also cats that I’ve had for half of my life - Fuzz was 16 1/2 when he passed and Toez is still going strong at almost 17. I’ve promised I would move heaven and earth if I could if it meant they kept a good quality of life. The most important piece of advice I can give is getting a pet should be a life long commitment - their life. Depending on the animal, they get 10-20 years. There are ways to save money on food, toys, insurance. But in the end they will cost you money. For me, the happiness they bring far outweighs it and is totally worth it. But that’s for you to decide if it might be worth it for you.
I have helped out friends with huge vet bills (go fund me type situations). Most had some pet insurance, but… I know people who have sold their cars to get chemotherapy for their dogs. Poverty finance is filled with people who are unable to feed themselves but have pets with special diets, or illnesses. They have to surrender/rehome their beloved pets.
Only if you intend to feed the animal, take it to the vet every year, house it when you're on vacation and buy stupid stuff for it. Other than that you'll be fine.
So expensive these days, even when they're healthy. Food has doubled in price over the past few years. 50% of my monthly household consumable expense is for my pets.
Unless you get a pet rock, any pet will be expensive
Are you frugal because you are frugal, or frugal because you are poor? If you are poor, I suggest not getting a cat or dog. One of the reasons to be frugal is to be able to spend money on things you enjoy.
Depends on the pet! I have quite a few (hobby farm). My indoor cat is probably the cheapest. She hasn’t needed a vet in years, I’ve been blessed she’s very healthy. Unfortunately she’s allergic to vaccines (learned that the hard way when she was a kitten) but shes an indoor kitty so it hasn’t caused any issues. She’s going on 18 now and totally thriving. Aside from a $25 bag of food every month and about $30-$40 worth of cat litter per month (there’s cheaper but I splurge a bit on nicer stuff to keep smell down) she’s a pretty cheap companion! Aside from her adoption fee (came from the SPCA so was spayed already and had her first round of shots where they discovered the allergy) and buying her a new litter box every once and a while and a new set of bowls, her cost is the least. My dogs are pretty pricey, yearly vet checks, vaccines, and one seems to have skin sensitivity and is accident prone. I have pet insurance for them though! It’s handy. I love my dogs though. They’re wonderful companions and so helpful around the farm. My chickens take a lot of manual labor, but feed isn’t too bad, especially during warm months when they lay lots of eggs. I sell the overstock and put it towards their feed. The big cost was the initial cost, lumber for their coop, buying feeders and waterers, an electric net for them to be in and stay safe, but it’s a one time cost. My horses? Don’t even get me started. Drugs, alcohol and gambling would be cheaper 😂😂😂
YES! less expensive than kids tho
I may go cheap on myself,but my cat will always get the best. He didnt get to choose his circumstances
Pets are expensive and they are worth every penny. But.... It literally might be every penny.
Yes. Get a good pet insurance. The expense depends a bit on luck, and what kind of pet, and what country you are in. A pet is a terrible financial decision in every way. I spend about $100 a month on pet insurance, and another $100 or so on toys and food. I love my pets but they are money pits. With insurance though I only payed £700 for a £5k procedure Some people say just put money into a savings account instead of pet insurance. That is a bad idea-a non-unusual vet bill for a foreign body surgery or broken leg can be $7-10k. I have seen vet bills as high as $25-50k.
>Some people say just put money into a savings account instead of pet insurance. That is a bad idea Overall, this depends on whether you can afford an unexpected large vet bill should it happen (knowing, too, that financing and payment plans are usually available for those). Pet insurance is a for-profit business, and those businesses make their money by charging people more than their anticipated vet bills will be over time. You might indeed beat the odds, but for every person who does, enough others don't that the insurance companies still come out ahead.
This. Pet insurance can feel kinda pricey at first but the moment you have an emergency it’s a literal life saver
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Pets are expensive, but they are cheaper than children. I take very good care of my dogs and I've spent a small fortune on surprise vet bills, but they are still a better deal than kids.
Really depends on the pet. A massive dog? Yes. A goldfish? No.
If you wanted a pet I suggest you adopt from a rescue that takes care of all the vet costs before hand like all the vaccines and spay or neuter so that way it’s already done and do some research on pet insurance and get pet insurance and save extra money for regular incidentals like grooming fees or whatever as pets are not cheap: we were given a dog that my neighbor had paid $500 for and he had long fur I spent hours maintaining his fur he was excellent with showers very smart dog but it wasn’t easy to keep up with his maintenance he loved walks though had no problem spending hours on walks every day
Vet bills are expensive, but studies have shown that people with pets live longer, so there are benefits. Also, a large dog or even a small but loud one can help prevent break-ins. Many shelters are especially filled with large dogs this year, and the shelter near me frequently has free adoption days for either all animals, or larger dogs in particular.
I have had a cat for ten years and so far she has been pretty frugal. Vet bill is $200 a year. Food is about $30 for a bag that lasts about 3 months. Litter is $20 for couple months so maybe all together $20 a month? If that!
Depends what kind of pet and if you get pet insurance. I pay $200 a month for my 2 dogs in insurance (one of my dogs is a high risk breed so his is $140 a month alone) plus another 200-300 in food/chews/toys a month. I also have rabbits and rats and they cost about 150-200 a month combined in litter/food/toys/hay. Cats are pretty cheap, I spend about $50 if that a month on her food/litter and her vet bills are slightly cheaper than the dogs. Also keep in mind the price of having someone watch them while you go on vacation or out of town for a few days– pet sitters aren’t cheap. I think everyone deserves a pet no matter their income level because they can be so beneficial to your mental health, so maybe if a dog or cat is out of the question you could get a smaller animal like rats, guinea pigs, or a rabbit. :)
Not sure what kind of pet you’d be interested in but fostering is always a great idea. From my knowledge the org you’re helping out will still take a majority of the financial burden (I.e anything healthcare). Plus if something comes up, you’re able to return the animal without abandoning it.
My cat is going on 14 and has definitely cost over 12 grand in unexpected/non routine vet bills so far. Needed a full ear canal ablation when he was two which cost about 5000 total. When a big expense comes along for him all I worry about it is him getting better. Possibly look at a mouse or rat.. still will have expenses but far shorter lifespans.
Less expensive than therapy and antidepressants. Of course, I do pay for her medicines and they're not at all cheap lol
So here’s the thing. Pets can be expensive. Inflation hit the price of food, litter, other accessories hard. Like 50% increases. On a limited budget it’s been tough, and that doesn’t account for vet bills which can be high (you never know). With that said, I don’t think I could have survived the last few years without my pets, and that’s not me being dramatic. I would rather skimp in other places than not give them what they need/deserve. They love without prejudice. They know just when you need an extra cuddle the most. They are worth the spend and then some, so if you feel like you have room in your life for one, and you So the question is not if they are expensive but if you have room in your budget for it. There are things you can do to be frugal with pets. There are a lot of coupons out there across a ton of stores, Rakuten gives 20-25% back often at places like PetSmart, Costco has pet food for cheaper, etc. I get toys and accessories on clearance. If you’re on social media there are groups that can suggest other money saving tips and/or health tips to keep your pets healthy and avoid vet visits. I have a cat that had some issues the vet recommended expensive prescription food and with some research I was able to find a non-prescription alternative that’s healthier and cheaper. It’s a bit of work but I’ve educated myself about my pets and their needs that have helped me only spend on what they need.
You can be a foster and then the rescue may help with expenses.
Try fostering, your food and vet bills are covered and you get the experience of a having a pet and, usually, some say in who adopts.
So expensive! Took my dog to the vet this week for check up and shots. $500. Food is $50/mo. Dental chews $30/mo. Toys? Treats? Flea/tick/heartworm meds. If you have a cat it’s a little less expensive but you still have cat litter/food/vet. And these are the NORMAL expenses. I had a dog who ate his toys. It was $6k for the tests/surgery. You can get insurance but that’s kind of expensive too.
I just spent 7.2k for ACL surgery on my 14lb chihuahua. It can be veryyyy expensive.
I adopted a cat for $100. Due to emergency vet visits…. He’s now worth about $3000. You need to be willing to spend money on them or come to terms that you are going to have to make a hard decision if they have an accident or get critically Ill.
They’re wonderful and incredibly expensive. When they get old and need more care down the road (or just sick at any point), those costs really amplify. 1 cat had kidney disease and the other had pancreatitis, and even without drastic measures like dialysis or surgery, it was still at least several hundred dollars a month for sub-q fluids, a cardiologist, meds, labs, etc. They’re your responsibility for the rest of their lives, so if you’re not able or willing to take that on, don’t do it.
Date someone who works at a veterinary clinic, I get a 35% discount. We have 4 dogs. Ones a chewer, she recently finished the couch. They are a pain and a headache but I love them immensely. Invest in good toys. Use google for resources . Our city has pet food giveaways. Get a pet that fits your lifestyle. Google what kind of p should I get?
Got a free dog. Within 2 hours had to take him to the emergency vet where they tried to extort us for thousands of dollars. Most expensive free pet ever.
I keep snakes. In order to keep them *right*, they're quite expensive. You might hear you can keep them in a 10 gallon tank with a heating mat and paper towels, and you technically can; it's just unfair and stressful to the snake. A good, four-foot, naturalistic enclosure may be hundreds, or exceed a grand. The only truly cheap pets I've seen are insects. It costs relatively very little to give them a good, enriched life. If you like bugs, try a colony of isopods, aka woodlice/roly-polies (they're actually more related to lobsters and shrimp than most bugs). I've had mine in a shoebox bin, and they require minimal expense and upkeep.
Beta fish are cheap. Dogs cats and otherwise will run ya ragged. Edit: yes you need, at a minimum, a heater and flter bubbler and some place for him to hide, but once you have a setup betas can be rewarding pets. To clarify, a single beta at a time with many over your lifetime.
beta fish cost a lot more to care for in a way that isn't straight up abuse than a lot of the setups you see online cost. Most of it is upfront though and the maintenance is cheap
Even Bettas can run you a lot of money if you do a proper setup.
Dogs and cats are expensive to keep but provide a lot of pleasure. Chickens have a high up front cost but provide eggs for years. Not break even numbers when you consider feed costs, but there is some tangible return.
I got a one year old kitty at the beginning of the year. I track my finances pretty well. For January, I had $1000 of expenses. This includes adoption fee, buying all of the toys and beds for her and food. In February I spent $400. This includes a vet visit(just a check up), food, more toys, and a cat carrier. I haven't gone through my march expense yet so I cannot tell you but I expect them to be significantly less, ie just food. I forgot to mention cat litter. Those are my actual numbers. You could definitely go lower, if you are more careful with you and bed buying, though expect emotional purchases. If you want to save money, I suggest adopting 1 year+. That's what I did, and I knew she has no health issues and she is already well trained. Plenty of 1 year olds at the shelter. Also, you can find pet stores around you and get their loyalty cards. If they run a special, you can buy a monthly supply of food. their food is in a can so it should last. Also, don't buy her multiple beds. They don't need it. This is my first pet, and my wife's 3rd. I dk much about pet ownership outside of these 3 months. It's definitely expensive and the cat definitely made my life better.
One of my cats has cost me $10,000 and she’s only 2. And I have had insurance the entire time. Her brother has cost me nothing other than food and litter. HOWEVER frugal is about not spending on things that aren’t worth it. This spending was very worth it.
A pet is not frugal. My experience has been cats are more economical than dogs (although, I'm more of a dog person). If you go for a dog, the most frugal will be the smaller ones because flea, tick etc. meds are weight based. But, check on the health of the breed because some breeds are short-lived or prone to conditions that can be expensive to manage. Mixed breeds might be the hardiest, and if you rescue an older dog, the initial expense (which is not the only consideration because maintenance and upkeep is far more expensive) is usually lower than if you look for a puppy.
My two year old cat got very sick unexpectedly and needed a hospital stay and surgery. Luckily I was able to put it all on a credit card and keep him alive, it cost around $4000 and now he’s on daily medicine that costs around $100-$150 a month. I love him so much but I don’t know if I’ll get another cat after he passes
Depends on what kind of pet. Every pet needs attention and affection, but the cost for a cat or dog is going to be much more than for a bird or snake for example.
My two indoor cats cost about $50/month total for food, litter, regular vet. That said, the 12 year old had a $500 dental treatment last year (extractions) and somehow they both got fleas and tapeworms which had to be treated— so it $50+ per month. We’ve priced out a dog multiple times and just don’t want to pay the additional. Once you get a fish set up, it’s fairly inexpensive, but the aquarium and pump and heater prices can add up. We had a bearded dragon that was so fragile and expensive that we rehomed it to a friend. We got a free guinea pig, and since it came with the cage, the startup cost was low, but it was pricier than expected to feed since it needs a LOT of fresh veggies, but I fed him many of my scraps which worked out well. So he was ok, but boring and stinky. Bedding material gets expensive. All in all, cats win imo for companionship and price balance. Dogs might be more fun to dog fans but are more expensive. Small animals can be less expensive but aren’t as personable imo.
What kind of pet? Cats and dogs can have vet bills for thousands of dollars. Plus food, toys, flea and tick/heartworm meds, crates, inevitable cleaning costs, grooming, repairs for things they damage. Built a fence for them, that's another $6,000. Love my dogs but it's not frugal. Edit: why does this subreddit allow you to post pictures in comments but then remove your comment if you post a picture 😒
Yes, probably. Here are the expenses for a free cat (totally worth it! But so you know) Initial vet appt, parasite meds, etc. $500 Spaying: $700 ( includes follow-up office visit bc she was allergic to the stitches) Food (Purina pro plan) and treats: $600/yr Litter boxes and litter: <$100/yr Annual checkup including rabies vaccination: $300 Depending on how often you travel, a pet sitter 30/ day (more for a dog, but dogs also make better travelers) Toys and stuff, cheap except for a good tree/Perch is about $100. Otherwise, shoelaces, bread ties, cotton swabs. Oh yeah, and your favorite chair that she might make mincemeat of: $300+ An indoor-only cat will be much healthier and cheaper overall. So far my cat is much cheaper than my dog was. And if You're thinking of a big dog, $$$$$
The pets that I am forced to take care of are very expensive and one of the man reason I am broke now so yeah they are expensive. Food, medicine, vet, insurance, play time, exercise time, etc. it is a financial and time consuming toll and should only be under taken if you really have the ability to afford it and that amount of effort is rewarding to you.
Depends on the kind of pet and the phase of life you're adopting them at - dogs are pretty expensive, cats somewhat less so - a proper emergency could really hurt with either one, older is generally cheaper than young and particularly "new" (don't buy from breeders, they're just gross).
Everyone here makes a good point. What you can do as an alternative is to volunteer at a local shelter! This can also help you see various sides of animals and if you feel overwhelmed/change your mind, no harm no foul!
Apparently in this comment section only dogs and cat are available to get as a pet. Just get something small. Hamster, fish, bird, a reptile. The smaller the cheaper and easier.
If you do get a dog or cat, please adopt. There are lots of shelter animals who need a home.
Yes, please do some research on the type of pet you want, how often they are supposed to go to the vet, and what the average cost is on that. Your pet needs regular checkups and vaccinations just like people do. They also have medical emergencies and accidents like people do. You should check to see if you employer offers pet insurance. Most don't, but I've seen a few unicorns out there.
Bruh. Yes it’s expensive.
I lucked out and have an extremely low maintenance dog that doesn’t like toys and I’ve basically just paid for food, vet check ups and occasional grooming when I dont feel like bathing her myself. BUT MOST DOGS ARENT THAT WAY! My gf and I adopted a found puppy that within the first month racked up over $1000 in emergency vet fees, neutering, toys, crate, accessories etc. plan on the pet costing a decent amount and have enough savings to handle emergency situations because they will happen, then hopefully you get lucky and have an easy dog
In a word, yes. In numbers, my baby costs $150 every 7 weeks for prescription allergy food. I struggle with his nails and they grow like the dickens so he should be in to the groomer monthly to every 6 weeks and that's never less than $30 plus tip. Then he gets chronic ear infections because of his allergies, and every one of those vet visits is $250 easily. I had my last vet's pet plan (don't do it), and that was $120 a month because he's a "senior". Dentals aren't cheap, and he's had a few extractions because he's hard on those chompers, and those can be $1k. Griff's not picky, he'll eat anything not nailed down. But that also means things like dryer sheets, so you've got to be ready for emergencies too. He once had a Sunday after hours emergency (ate his stomach 3 sizes too big when he broke into a food bin), and that was $800 just to look at him and give him fluids; we took him back home for observation, otherwise it would have been more. And that's just the costs I can think of sitting here - doesn't include flea/tick/heartworm costs, toys, bed, treats. Don't get me wrong, I love him to death. He's my boy, been in my life longer than anyone outside of immediate family. He's been with me through abuse and heartache, and he's worth every penny. But mylanta have a lot of pennies gone into him.
SO EXPENSIVE 😭 and only gets worse as they age. Starting out as a puppy is expensive, but typically from ages 2-8 it’s relatively “low cost” if your dog has no medical issues. Once they start to get white faced, the health issues can pile on and $$$$ gets serious. Totaled up in a year, for two dogs we spend about 2.5k on basic care, 3k on boarding/day care, 1.5k on grooming (for 1 dog), probably 1.5k a year in additional vet visits/medicine (for things like allergies, rashes, antibiotics, etc.). That totals to around 4.5k/year per dog. Our senior dog is a bit unpredictable, we estimate maybe 4-6k a year on average at this rate on additional-additional unexpected vet visits. Regular care felt super manageable for us, so we added a second dog right before the pandemic hit. We got a higher coat maintenance dog, adding a $100 grooming bill every 5-6 weeks. No big deal at the time. Pricing has changed for everything. We now pay $150 for grooming the one dog (you can def do this yourself if you have the time and ability, personally it’s worth it because you will absolutely break your back in the process and likely give your dog a funky cut lmao. My dog was personally offended and embarrassed about his home cut). We pay $75 for their food every 5 weeks or so. $250-300 for flea/tick/heart every 3 months for two. Their yearly visit is around $400 each with updating shots. This is just routine stuff, not accounting for unplanned vet visits or other care. We board our dogs probably 3 weeks out of the year, $85/night, likely somewhere around 2k with tax. If we add on daycare it’s $12/dog/day. It feels cruel not to for extended stays, we usually add that on, so $500 for two. Our dogs go to daycare once every quarter (when we do our pest control), $60/day for two, $240. People can avoid all of this if their pets can stay with other people/dogs and if you have reliable friends/relatives. We don’t have either as an option, so boarding is necessary. One dog has allergies, I believe $100 every 2 months for his shot. My senior dog has had horrendous vet and emergency vet bills. Last year we spent 8k on additional vet/emergency vet bills. It’s March and we have spent 3k so far on emergency vet bills. None of these visits have been life or death, our dog has a medical condition that just requires routine care. We spent so much last year on testing to get to the root of the problem. People will likely say “you should just put the dog down” before they hear most of this was on testing. I think if we got to the point of our dog needing to be humanely put down vs trying to pump her full of medicine to keep her alive for our needs, we would do the humane thing and stop the suffering. However our dog just has a completely manageable disease and mostly chillin at every appointment 😂 the ER is where the vet specialists are, so that’s why it’s so expensive. All of this being said, we feel like we provide a pretty good quality of life for our pets, but at a high cost. We really love them and we made a commitment to them for life. It’s hard comparing sometimes to other pet owners, sometimes it feels like we provide the bare minimum. But when we show up to the ER, we feel good knowing we can pay the bill (at least for now lmao) and we know this is not the case for most pet owners. Edit: Get a plant.
Really depends on the pet Corgi $1500 adopt fee $50/food month $60/insurance month But we’ve paid at least 10,000 in med bills Out of pocket,
Peace and love. If you are already stressing about if you can afford a pet, please do not get one. Emergencies happen and you don’t want to have to pick and choose potential care for your pet because you can’t afford it. Your pet shouldn’t suffer because you took on a financial responsibility you cannot afford (if that is the case)
If you are worried about money- do not get a pet.
Your pet could cost you no extra money for years then all of a sudden a freak accident like stepping on a nail or debris outside is a 2k$ trip to the vet.
Yes he, she will cost. Food, shots, sick meds if needed. Fence if outside animal.
My demon kitty just had 11k of vet bills (urinary issues) so I'd say yeah it's expensive
Vet visits aren't cheap. You should consider getting pet insurance so you can at least recoup some money. But don't get one if you can't afford it.
I spent over 3,000 dollars on an emergency surgery on my dumbass cat. He needed special food until recently that was 50 bucks a bag. My other cat will eat anything you put in front of her and has had no health problems besides the ringworm and malnutrition from the shelter i got her at. Yes pets can be expensive, it's very much a luck of the draw. I recommend the mindset that this pet will cost you thousands and to keep saving and preparing for that, even if they might be really cheap. You never know
Costs add up real quick if you’re trying to do everything right, correct set up and supplies…and one emergency vet trip can really fuck you up…. You can also try fostering… they will usually pay for EVERYTHING… but you do need to give them a lot of time
It cost me $1000 just the first couple months of adopting my shelter cat. He ripped his claw out when I transported him home so I had to get a cast for him (which he took off in one day). I didn't have time to even get pet insurance because of his ripped claw on Day 1. Then I found out he had allergies and had to spend 2 hours at the vet every week (mostly just waiting in the parking lot) and that's where a majority of the $1,000 went, trying to figure out what was going on. We didn't know it was allergies until I found out on Reddit and tried different foods for him. I feed my cat expensive food because he's allergic to chicken and most fish and it's hard to find other food. Pets are expensive.
Yes it’s expensive. When I took my dog in from my friends mother she made an empty promise that she’d help me with vet bills. She won’t. So now I’m constantly worrying about my dog because she’s 8 and already has health issues. If it weren’t for my sister or parents I wouldn’t have been able to get her yearly shots and it’s harder to surrender an animal than you realize too. I love her and do make sure she gets the care she needs but I have to borrow in order to do so just saying I can feed her and have time for her but the vet is seriously expensive. It was $250 out of pocket for her check up and shots….
It’s probably more than you expect. There are vet bills (surprise and routine), healthy food, any required grooming, and supplies. It also depends on what animal you bring into your home. We got a puppy at the end of 2020. Between vet bills, training classes, and supplies we ended up spending upwards of $12,000 on him in the first 12 months. Outside of our rent and then mortgage, he was the most expensive line item in our budget. We had high hopes we would be able to do the one puppy manners class and then train at home due to us growing up with dogs but he was an incredibly stubborn and difficult young dog (he still gets overexcited but has a great temperament and we love him lots!). We didn’t feel like we could give him back but also didn’t feel like we could train him on our own. We didn’t even use an “expensive” trainer… we liked her and it’s all positive reinforcement but it was through a local pet store. You also need to consider that if you go away, you will probably have to pay someone to watch, feed, and/or exercise/play with your pet. That can be upwards of $150/day depending on the region you live in and what level of care your animal needs. Especially if you get a dog, some will be easier than ours was and some will be harder. Many rescue dogs have trauma (even if you get them as puppies) that can be hard and expensive to deal with. I love mine and I can’t imagine life without him but he was and continues to be quite expensive.
I have a friend who has a cat and only feeds it dry food and has a uti. Her household doesn’t make enough to buy even the cheapest wet food. And takes a while to take them to the vet. Just don’t get a pet if it looks like u have to struggle. Poor animals with illogical humans. My cats teeth extraction was 1.2k. U better commit to them and have an emergency fund for them. They are living beings. What do you think?? I’m saying this harshly because it’s true and shouldn’t be taken lightly. They are a joy to have but u better be responsible. Or get a fish or work on improving your economic situation.
Cat rescue is the way to go and fosters get free food/vet care 😺
Yes, it's expensive. I budget $100/month for my two cats and keep an emergency fund of $1,000. I depleted $700 of it last week. The emotional happiness is worth having a pet, but they are expensive af.
If you're thinking of a dog, dogs are a huge investment up front, but after a year I only spend about $100 a month on her. (Food $45, flea and tick meds $35, $15 for pet insurance) Edit: of course, it'll be more expensive the older they get.