Pets are a joy. They can keep you company when you’re lonely, make you laugh when you’re sad, and provide a consistent source of boundless love and affection. Unfortunately, our four-or-otherwise-legged friends don’t necessarily come cheap.
Hidden Cost of Pets - YourMoneyDrawer.com
Depending on what kind of pet you’re considering getting, your first year costs could range anywhere from more than $1800 (large breed dog) to just over $200 (fish). Those numbers come courtesy of a very detailed breakdown of annual pet costs on the ASPCA’s website that every potential pet owner should check out. Beyond the typical food, toys, and waste removal items your pet may require, they add things most of us probably wouldn’t think about like pet health insurance, carrier bags, and grooming.
But even their seemingly exhaustive list misses some of the hidden costs, such as…
Destruction.
Unless you’re getting a fish, there’s a chance that pretty much any pet you get may end up breaking, chewing on, or ripping apart something that you’ll have to replace. With dogs and cats, this is almost a certainty. No matter how much you try to protect against it, it is very likely that you will lose shoes or have furniture double as chew toys or scratching posts.
“Bathroom” clean up.
While it’s all well and good that the ASPCA accounts for cat litter and poop bags in their budget, where’s the money for cleaning wipes when accidents happen indoors? You may also need to pay for carpet cleaners or a “pet vacuum” to make all the lovely odors go away.
Spoiling.
The maximum toy budget – for large dogs – is $75 per year. But the truth is there are probably lots of things you’ll want to buy your pet that you don’t necessarily need to buy them. Like cool things for your fish to swim through in the aquarium. Or fancy pet beds. Or Halloween costumes. This kind of “discretionary” spending is given a small nod on the ASPCA budget ($15-$65 in miscellaneous), but it’s just a small fraction of what you may want to spend.
Time.
Obviously, not all pets are created equal in this regard, but energetic dogs may need a good hour or two of walking a day, and most other pets will need some love and attention from you – at least if you don’t want them climbing the walls (hopefully figuratively) and adding to your destruction costs. Even fish at least need you to take the time to feed them and clean their aquarium. And if you can’t find the time to do any of it, you might end up having to pay someone else – like a dog walker – to do it for you.
Sitters.
If you plan to leave for more than a day, you’ll likely have to pay a professional or a friend to take care your pet. Alternatively, you can bring pets with you on trips, but then you’re stuck looking for more expensive pet-friendly hotels and paying for plane tickets so that your furry friend can fly with you.
Now, all of that being said, don’t let it deter you from getting a pet if you really want one. Just make sure that you look into the hidden costs and responsibilities ahead of time so that you know what you’re getting yourself into.
If you look hard enough, you can probably even find some creative ways to cut corners on some of these hidden – and even not so hidden – costs to make your budget breathe a little easier.
