Tired of teaching your old dog new tricks? 🤹 Why not get Rover a job at the local clinic? We hear he’s really good at running those Lab reports. 🐶🩺
Thinking of bringing home a new fuzzy family member? While pets pay you in cuddles and zoomies, you’re on the hook for all the expenses needed to keep them happy and healthy. 🥰🐱 Before you pick up baby Fido, check out these tips.
Here’s Five Fast Facts on the cost of pet ownership:
- 🐕🦺 Budget Bark - Pets may steal your heart, but they'll also snag a regular spot in your household budget. The average dog costs about $1,852 per year to own, compared with $1,235 for cats. Over the years, those routine expenses add up.
- 🏡 In the Doghouse - The first pet expense comes before you hit up the pet store for a bag of kibble. Adoption or purchase fees can range from about $50 to more than $5,000, depending on whether you adopt from a shelter or purchase from a breeder.
- 🍬 The Treat Tax - Bringing your pet home is just the start of the spending. The years that follow often include supplies like beds and crates, routine and emergency vet care, food and treats, medications, pet insurance, grooming, training, and boarding or travel expenses.
- 💰 Well Vetted - Your pup may never learn to fetch the paper, but they’ll definitely deliver surprise expenses. A dedicated pet savings account combined with insurance or a wellness plan can help soften the financial blow of an unexpected vet bill.
- 🐾 Pet Parent Planning - Ultimately, responsible pet ownership starts with realistic financial planning. Looking beyond the adoption fee and considering years of ongoing expenses helps you prepare to care for a pet without going off the financial rails.
🔥Bottom line: Pet ownership isn’t for everyone, especially when you look at the decision as a financial one. Before you take the pet plunge, make sure you have all your squeaky toy ducks in a row. In case you were wondering, inflation is still impacting American paychecks. Catch up on the latest deets here in this article.
Do you have a furry friend at home?
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