The Cost of Owning Pets
For those of you who are like me and think of your pets as family, you can appreciate the fact that having pet-associated costs is a necessity. Ok, maybe not a necessity as you can always get rid of the pets, but since that is extremely difficult to do, we suffer through the costs. But, have you ever sat down and looked at the cost of owning a pet? Have you ever considered which pets cost more then others?
Personally, after talking to a friend of mine, I think horses are some of the most expensive pets to have. But, I’ll get to that in a minute. First I’ll talk about my three cats – George, Archimedes, and Booh. I only got to name Archimedes so don’t blame me for their average names. Anyway, having one cat is expensive enough; having three is a mild form of lunacy in my opinion. But, I’m good and stuck with them now.
With three cats I maintain two litter boxes. I’m supposed to have three or four, but I live in a one bedroom apartment and I clean the boxes daily, so that helps alleviate any accidents that may occur. But, I have to have the super sized boxes because I have some big cats. So, each box cost me $15 a piece. Also take into consideration that I’ve tried many other litter boxes over the years, to include the self-cleaning and the rollover kind. Well, my cats don’t like the noise or the pellets of the self-cleaning ones and I ended up with accidents on the floor. The rollover just doesn’t work, though it made a nice covered litter box. So, over the years, I’d venture to guess I’ve spent about $200 – excluding the $30 for the ones I have now – trying to find the perfect box and system for my cats.
Now, each litter box uses a box and a half of the 21-pound litter, so I buy three boxes at a time. I keep the same litter in each box for about three weeks, so I’m roughly buying these boxes once a month. The brand I buy is $10 a box, so that’s another $30 a month just to clean their toilet. It’s rather expensive. Now, every once in a while these guys will go through a period in which they use their boxes more than normal, in which case I have to change the litter at two weeks, so it may work out that I buy the litter twice a month, but this isn’t often, so I’ll stick with the $30 a month estimate.
Their food is a moderate brand, but they’re extremely picky and George has stomach issues. So, the brand I buy is about $15 for a 10-pound bag. It usually lasts an entire month, though on occasion I’ve had to buy two bags in one month. Again, this isn’t often, so I’ll stick with the $15 per month scenario.
Then there’s the healthcare. I take the cats in annually for their shots. That’s about $85 a pop, per cat. But, George has an ear mite problem. I’ll get it cleared up for a bit, then we’re right back at square one. So, each month I’m buying ear medication so he doesn’t scratch himself raw. That’s about $10 a bottle. I say I spend about $25 (rounding up on the high side) on miscellaneous stuff like shampoo, cat wipes for their paws, brushes, toys, and treats.
All in all, my three cats cost me about $1000 a year to have. Can you believe that? I’ve often considered getting rid of one cat to cut the costs a little, but there’s no way I could willingly part with any of them. They’re like my kids, if you will. But, in all honesty, I don’t really understand how anyone can have more than three. It’s a hassle to keep up with their boxes and all three are declawed, so they’re not outdoor cats. The feeding, grooming, and vet bills make me cringe when I think about them in detail. Yikes! But, I love ‘em just the same.
So, I promised some information on horses. Ok, for those of you who know I live in Texas, let me ’splain something to you. I do not have a belt buckle the size of a dinner plate and I do not ride a horse to work. I don’t even know how to ride a horse, for that matter. I tell you this because these are the two biggest questions I get every time I head out to L.A. Yes, I understand it’s a joke. Let me save you the trouble…it’s not that funny.
Anyway, my friend is big into horses so I picked her brain as kind of a comparison to what my cats cost me. She has two horses – Dante and Cody – and she keeps them on her own property, so there’s no boarding costs to be concerned with. First thing you want to know is that you’re obviously not taking your horse to the vet. So, they make what’s called ‘farm calls’ where they come to you and the horse. But, each time they come out for a visit, it’s $40 (this may very per vet).
Every two months, the horses’ hooves have to be looked after. Either they can be filed down, only have the front two hooves shoed, or you can get all four shoes fitted. My friend does the four shoes and this costs her $100 per horse. Along with the hooves, dental hygiene is extremely important. So, once a year the teeth have to be checked to see if they’re floating. I don’t know what they means exactly, but I know she said it costs her $50 per horse to have taken care of.
Once a year the horses are up for coggins vaccinations (I believe that’s what they’re called). This is $100 per horse.
Now, to feed the horses, it costs my friend some money. There’s different types of food, too. There’s the hay, which comes in a round bale for when they’re in the field. That’s $75 per bale which usually lasts about a month with her two horses. Then there’s the hay for when they’re in their stalls. I don’t remember what it’s called, but it’s about $50 per bale and lasts about a month between the two horses. Finally, you’ve got the feed. The feed is $15 per bag and each horse goes through one bag a week…I didn’t realize horses ate so much. Goodness!
Finally, my friend says she spends about $100 per month on miscellaneous things for the horses like fly spray, wound ointment, or supplements. If you’re opposed to mucking your own stalls, paying someone to do it may fall in this category for you. But, my friend saves money because she does it herself.
In total, my friend spends about…wait for it…$5,040 a year for two horses and I’m not even counting the vet visits.
So what about the pet owners out there? How much are you spending per year on your pets? Is it worth it to you, or do you find it an unnecessary drain on your finances?
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According to my expense tracking, I’ve spent $476.08 on my dog over the last 10 months. We’re out of Frontline & Heart guard so that total will be going up soon. I bet it will be around $600 for the year.
But considering that a few years ago we’ve paid $1500 for an eye surgery and built a $1400 fence, $600 isn’t all that bad.
Is it worth it? TOTALLY!
Our dog is part of the family. My wife & I refer to her as the “first born child” and she is the only one we let sleep with us.
I can totally related. I have a number of pets and my vet visits usually cost more than my MD visits per year. My vet has also discontinued her practice of a discount for multiple pets. I try to bring the dogs in at the same time for the annual visit/check up and I used to get a 10% discount of services, no more!
Floating referes to an equine denistry procedure. Horses teeth grow (the phrase long in the tooth) and have to be ground down, or floated as it’s called. The vet uses a tool to shave down the teeth and then smooths them out.
My dogs are my extended family, so I certainly don’t begrudge them the money I spend on them. What they give me in return is priceless.
That being said, I don’t think some people realize how expensive a pet can be, especially if you have a puppy that is going to need it’s puppy shots and all the supplies that go along with a puppy (crate, toys, dishes). As much as people love their pets, not everyone remembers that these extra and sometimes very much needed items cost money and need to be budgeted for. One of my dogs chewed her way through a plastic dog crate, rendering it useless. I had to go out and get a wire crate for her.
I have two dogs. One is nearly 10 yo and the other is about 8 months. I easily spend $2000 per year on them. Right now the other one has a health problem and has to go to the vet weekly.
My son asked yesterday after the vet visit if I would not have gotten the dogs if I knew how much they would cost and my response was when I signed the papers for the dogs I became totally responsible and I knew there was a cost involved.
There are some months when I think my pests cost more than my children. But they are definitely worth it.
If your cats are totally indoor cats, it’s not necessary to get them vaccinated each year, and in fact, vaccinations, as you may know, carry risks of their own. In my state of CT, the only vaccine that’s required by law is rabies, and while i would skip that too since my cats are indoor cats, too, most vets won’t look at a cat unless it has the rabies shot.
As for litter, you can save yourself a bundle of money by buying your clumping cat litter at Costco. A 44 pound box goes for $6.99, FAR CHEAPER than anything else I’ve found. The cost savings on cat litter alone makes up for my membership fee.
@ DD – Can’t you guys do the Heartguard and Frontline through the mail to save money? I don’t know how that works, but maybe it would save a little. Still, $600 in comparison to the other fees isn’t so bad. And you’re right, it’s totally worth it! I’m not sure I want actual kids, but my cats are pretty darn close!
@ bouncing back betty – Man, that’d be nice if the vet here offered me such a discount! I take all three of mine in at once, as well. Thanks for clearing up the floating thing…my friend explained it, but I couldn’t really remember what she’d said as horses aren’t my thing. You’re definitely right about people not realizing the cost. I’ve heard so many horror stories about people abandoning animals with this economy, it’s just a shame. My friend was moved to tears about a family in Montana that left their two horses by the side of the road. It’s crazy and very sad!
@ Amber – ahem…pests? lol, Freudian slip? But, yes I understand. My mom asks me all the time if I regret getting my cats and the answer is no. I knew going in that there would be a cost. And you’re right, they’re worth every penny!
@ dawn – I asked my vet about that and he said he still recommends that they get their vaccinations every year. As that’s what they recommend, that’s what I do. But, I love your tip on the cat litter. I started looking into it, and it’s a little bit more expensive here, but regardless, after doing the math I still come out ahead for the year on cat litter. I’m totally going to open a membership and start doing it that way!
I spend about $600-$700 a year on my 15 year old beagle mix. Between food, grooming, and bi-annual vet visits, I think it’ll increase slightly as she gets older.
You know, everyone commented how nice I was for getting an older dog but I really didn’t think through the costs! Just the yearly dental is over $100…and this year, she had doggie breast cancer, which was a $450 operation.
I told myself I’d never be one of those crazy people who spends way too much money on pets but now I think I may have become one (!).