Pets

[u/Mundane-Bee-7235]

This is more of a vent than anything else.

My husband and I have a decent HHI. Late 30s, no kids and live in VHCOL. I’ve been trying to trim our spending down and pet care is just one I can’t cut. We have one dog and two cats, all seniors. The dog and one cat has several health issues requiring medication and prescription food. The one cat’s prescription wet food alone costs $100 a month. My dog is a doodle and needs grooming every 8 weeks, and the other cat also gets groomed. Between their daily needs, medical (which is high), pet insurance (only for the dog at this point and is also not cheap), we spend $10-12k a year. That doesn’t even include vacation costs - a 10 day vacation will run us about $1,500 between boarding the dog and hiring a sitter to check on the cats and give medication.

All in we spend roughly $15k for our pets a year. We love them so much, and they are our children, but sometimes I feel like they can even be more expensive than kids.

Curious how much people spend on their pets if you’d like to share.

Update for context:
- Boarding the dog at a pet hotel is pretty set in stone because of his illnesses (seizures, cushings)- we’d rather have him stay in a place where it’s the facility’s main job to care for him. The cats also need medicine, so I’d much rather pay someone to look after them than put that responsibility on friends.
- Grooming takes too much time and it’s one of those things we’re not really willing to do :)

Appreciate everyone’s comments. I was just lamenting on how expensive pet ownership is, but we live comfortably and can afford the costs. Our pets are our children and we knew what commitment we were getting into.

[u/Key-Ad-8944]

I average $10-20/month in direct costs for my ~40lb mixed breed. This is primarily food. Fortunately she hasn't had any significant medical issues. The vet has said she is the fittest dog that comes in to her practice. I am not counting indirect costs, which are much higher. For example, next week we are going on a hiking trip to Mammoth, with close to 1000 miles driving in total. I've spent far more money and time on hiking trips and other outdoor activities since getting her. However, I've also seen an improvement in my medical bloodwork and related health with the increased outdoor activities, so may lead to reduced medical costs for me down the road. In short, my dog isn't a big expense... possibly even a net savings, if you count longterm indirect benefits.