Having pets is an important quality of life factor for me, and even though my pets aren’t the best financial decision, they are 100% an awesome life decision. They contribute to my mental health. StarDog forces me to get outside and stay active. SunCat makes an excellent neck warmer at night when I keep my heat low. StarCat is a constant source of amusement because he always looks shocked. They are wonderful.
But let’s be real. Pets are also hella expensive…especially when you have three, and one of them is considered geriatric (SunCat turns 15 in a few weeks! She appreciates tuna-flavored birthday gifts if you are so inclined).
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I think I do a pretty good job
Bonus frugal tip: Please please please adopt. Don’t spend hundreds (or thousands) of dollars on a purebred or designer breed puppy or kitten. There are so many wonderful animals in shelters, including specific breed rescues and pets of all ages. As an added benefit, mixed-breed pets are less likely to have genetic health issues that purebreds are more susceptible to!
Ok, here’s the breakdown, with more detail to follow:
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Medical Expenses – The Felines
This was a major category for me this year. SunCat had a prolonged medical scare. For awhile, the vet was worried it was cancer. We dodged that bullet, but she had lots of tests in the meantime. All of which were 100% worth it because now, instead of letting her health slowly (and then more rapidly) decline like it was earlier in the year, I can take some simple care steps to keep her healthy and happy. She’s still an energetic and affectionate cat who will hopefully live for several more years.
My pet insurance reimburses 90% of expenses after I hit a $500 deductible (per issue) for her, so I got a good amount of money back. If we didn’t have her health scare, I would estimate that I spend closer to $700-900 annually on the cats’ medical bills. SunCat gets two visits a year (as recommended for cats over 12) and bloodwork done at each visit. StarCat gets one check-up a year but also has bloodwork done (which isn’t common for younger cats) because of some concerns about his heart health.
Medical Expenses – The Canine
StarDog was the easiest of the bunch this year, though that amount doesn’t include all of his flea and tick preventative because I bought some at Costco. Because of his general good health for the past two years, I decided this month to cancel his pet insurance coverage. That will free up $42 a month. I wanted it when he was younger, and it was definitely useful, but now that he’s matured some, he’s less likely to ingest foreign objects and we’ve worked out his food allergies (though that was some expensive detective work at the time…).
Pet Insurance
I wrote a whole post about why I pay for pet insurance, so I won’t go into those details here. This year, I was out about $722 for the peace of mind that insurance gave me—about $60 a month. I don’t regret spending that, but now that I’ve built up a healthy emergency fund, I’ll likely transition away from paying it. I’ve already taken StarDog off my plan, and I’ll probably take StarCat off next if his next heart check-up goes well. I’ll likely raise SunCat’s deductible too, which should drop this cost down significantly. I’m not sure when I’ll take her off completely, or if I ever will, given her health history and age, but I know I won’t be paying this much in 2019. If I have my act together, I’ll write a follow up post in 2020 😉
Pet-Sitting
This line item is painful. I don’t have someone stay in my house to watch my pets—instead, I bring StarDog somewhere and then have a cat sitter stop in daily for the cats. That expense was exacerbated last fall when I needed twice-daily cat sitting because of SunCat’s medication schedule. I don’t have family nearby to help with watching my pets while I’m gone, and I travel a decent amount for work. I have a few neighbors that will watch StarDog on occasion, but I don’t feel comfortable abusing that goodwill too heavily since I do travel pretty frequently (and I prefer a cat sitter with experience administering medication and recognizing warning signs).
I offset this massive expense by sitting on Rover, which makes a big difference. Last year, that left me with $1,363 in expenses that had to go in my budget, which is way better than $3,000+! But as I’ve talked about quite a bit recently, my mental health has taken a hit in the last few months, and I’ve been cutting back on extra activities like pet-sitting. I still sit for a few of my repeat clients, but I haven’t taken any new clients in 6 months, and I don’t see that changing anytime soon. Which means more of this cost will come out of my regular paycheck…
On the bright side, as I transition to my new career path and leave my full-time job and its travel requirements, I won’t be needing this much pet-sitting regularly!
Pet Food and Miscellaneous
This is one budget category where I think I’m doing pretty darn well. I spend an average of $88.79 a month on general supplies for all three pets (not counting flea/tick/heartworm preventative, which they all receive).
SunCat needs “mature” cat food, but I reduce costs by buying the one she likes on Amazon or Chewy.com, whichever is cheaper at the time. Same with
This category also includes random splurges. I can wash StarDog in my bathtub, but I much prefer the self-wash option at the local groomer. They have tubs that I don’t need to kneel by! And scented shampoo and conditioner! And brushes! It’s just easier. Well worth the $10-15 every once and awhile. StarDog also gets fancy dog bakery treats after vet visits…because the poor guy deserves them after such a traumatic experience.
Closing Thoughts on Pet Expenses…
Okay, that’s the full breakdown. I think that people sometimes don’t fully understand what expenses they should plan for. This is what I pay after having all of my pets for at least 3 years; my expenses were waaay higher in year 1 for StarDog and StarCat (I was still living at home when we got SunCat). You have to buy kitten/puppy food, all the chew toys for sharp puppy teeth, a dog crate, so many vet visits and vaccines, doggy daycare or walking for long days, etc. There are ways around most of those expenses, but the bills add up fast if you aren’t careful. Again, I think it’s completely worth it, but it won’t be for everyone.
…And a Brief Soapbox
Another final thought. If you adopt an animal, you are making a commitment to give that living being the best life you can. That means paying for preventative care and ensuring they have sufficient mental and physical stimulation. It means being proactive about training and finding solutions for any weird quirks or idiosyncrasies they have (cat owners will feel me on that one). It also means not skimping on medical bills when you can afford it and the treatment won’t affect quality of life long-term. Animals are so very good at hiding pain, so it’s our jobs as owners to advocate for their care and not brush off subtle warning signs. This is true for dogs and cats. And rabbits and turtles. If you buy an animal, you just purchased a responsibility that you need to take seriously.
…Stepping off my soapbox now. Congrats on reading this far! Let me know if you have any tips and tricks for reducing pet expenses, or if you have anything else you spend money on that is completely worth it!
I read this one with interest! I have 3 dogs, (2 Cavaliers and a mini wire-haired dachshund) and their expenses are significant.
I’ve been a dog owner for over 30 years and I’ve found that barring unexpected random events, (such as Scout, my dachshund, swallowing a seedpod and needing a $3,200 operation to save her life 2 weeks ago), the most expensive times in a pet’s life is the very early year/s and the very late one/s.
Your cat’s reached a fine old age! I hope my three are just as lucky. 🙂
I agree that Chewy can be a huge savings! It’s awesome how much you made on Rover.
I’m generally really good about being mindful of pet expenses (our cat prefers cheap homemade toys to expensive store bought ones so I try to stop myself from buying her toys), but I did buy her a beautiful cat tree that was insanely expensive. But she is so happy sitting up there and it looks nice in our living room, so it was worth it :).
One other thing I do is include unexpected pet costs in my emergency fund. Gives some peace of mind that if something urgent comes up, I don’t need to worry about where the money is coming from.
I’ll have to check out your post about pet insurance! I’ve been weighing the pros and cons of getting it for awhile now
I think that in terms of pure finances, it doesn’t really make sense. But finances aren’t in a vacuum, and the personal aspect of having that reassurance in place is worth something! If you have a healthy emergency fund, you’re probably fine, but back when I didn’t, knowing I was covered if I had an emergency vet visit was really comforting.