How Much Does it Cost to Have a Pet

Are you thinking of getting a pet? Before you get a pet, check my article out about ‘How Much Does it Cost to Have a Pet’ so you can prepare yourself financially for having a pet.

I have always had some pets since I was a kid. I don’t know why but I had some pet chickens, dogs, beetles, crabs, spiders, etc. And now, I have some dogs, fish, and some cats. Well, the cats are not technically my pets, but since they have chosen to live in front of my house, I always bring them some food and supplementary vitamins as well.

I think the cats belong to our neighbor because I often see those cats on their property when I first moved in. However, the cats are now hanging out for most of the day in front of our house so I decided to just give them a covered crate so they can sleep there if they want to and I bring them food and water.

Anyway, going back to the topic, here are some of the expense-related things that you have to think about before you choose to have a pet.

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Acquisition Cost of the Pet

The first cost that you have to think of is the acquisition cost of the pet. Some pets can be acquired very cheaply and some cost so much money.

The price of the pe will of course depend on the breed and the rarity (of color, breed, etc).

If you don’t have any idea how much a pet would cost, you can check some of the pet shops in your area and just ask for the price. Alternatively, you can also check online marketplaces such as Facebook Marketplace to see how much they are being sold for.

Fishes are generally cheap especially the small ones. But of course, there are also uber-expensive fishes in the pet market.

Another cost-efficient way to get a pet is by adopting.

I only came across the idea of adopting a pet a bit late in life. So I’m thinking that in case I’m going to get another pet, that I just might adopt one (I might just adopt our neighbor’s cats since they’re already spending most of the day in front of my apartment LOL!).

There are so many dogs and cats looking for homes that you can adopt. There might be some costs with the adoption process as well depending on where you will adopt your pet from.

Adoption is not only cost-efficient but it’s also a huge help for your community especially the local pound, animal shelters, animal charity, etc because if you adopt a dog or cat, it would open another space in their sanctuary to rescue another dog or cat off the streets.

Living Space

The living space will vary depending on the type of pet that you will have. In my case, my dogs sleep on my sofa ( I think they have claimed ownership on it already hahaha). But I still brought some crates for them so they can have another place to go to if they feel threatened for whatever reasons.

I also bought some flat pillows that they use as their dog beds.

For the fishes, their living space is a bit costly compared to the dog beds (and my sofa LOL!). The fishes have an aquarium and other complementary equipment to ensure that their living space is clean such as filter, aerator, etc.

By the way, since we’re talking about living space, before you get any dog, please also consider their need for space to move around. Some dogs are active breeds and may need a yard so that they can often run and play on.

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Food

Food may or may not be that cheap depending on the type of pet that you have and of course, the price affordability depends on your income.

In my case, I find dog food to be a bit expensive. Actually, there are cheaper dog foods out there but in the years that I had my dogs, I learned what they like and don’t like to eat.

And also, the food needs to change every now and then to give them a variety.

For the fish, it’s also the same, I give them a variety of food and rotate their food options every now and then so they will not be bored.

Grooming

Grooming dogs can be very expensive depending on your location and the number of pet grooming shops.

In order to save money on grooming, you can teach yourself how to do it yourself or get a pet that will not require this as much as the others.

For example, with dog breeds, if you get short-haired dogs, then you wouldn’t have to worry that much about cutting their hair/fur every now and then.

Vet Visits and Medication

This is the most costly part of pet ownership. Every now and then, your pets will get sick and you will have to bring them to the vet for some treatment.

Luckily, for my dogs, none of them have had any operations yet. But they had multiple vet visits already due to illnesses and it’s really costly.

Aside from the vet visits, the medications for dogs are also expensive.

Just like in us humans, prevention is always better than cure. So keep your pets healthy and you will get to save a lot of money on medications.

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Miscellaneous Expenses

Aside from the above-mentioned expenses, there are also some other small items that you might spend money on such as toys, clothes (especially for those who live in very cold places), accessories for their living spaces (for fish), vitamins, etc.

Final Thoughts

Even if pet ownership can be expensive (their food is oftentimes more expensive than mine hahaha), a lot of people including myself still choose to have a pet because of the joy they bring into our lives.

But, before you decide to get any pet, please consider that this is a long-term commitment with them, You will have to care for them for their entire lifetime and they will be heavily dependent on you for their survival.

Fishes can’t clean their own aquariums and they will get sick and die if you don’t clean the aquarium and change the water weekly (depends on tank size). And dogs can’t fend for themselves as well if you don’t take care of them.

Please also consider your capability and your budget before you get any pet to ensure that you will not be financially struggling in keeping a pet and for them to continuously live the good life that they deserve.