Originally published on the PetsCareTip Blog
By Jane, Petscaretip associate producer
I’ll never forget the look on one woman’s face as she had to surrender her longtime cat. I since working at the MSPCA Boston Adoption Center at the time and this woman’s plight literally made me ache. She got lost her job and, faced with eviction, she had nowhere to go. No-one she knew could take in her cat and she was planning on spending that very night at a homeless shelter. Her face was tight and she had been holding back tears as she signed the relinquishment papers.
Unfortunately, this woman is not alone. Petfinder’s 2009 FurKeeps Member Survey identified cost as one of the top five reasons people give up their pets. And it’s no surprise: Unexpected vet bills, the rising cost of pet care and sudden changes in a pet parent’s finances can be devastating.
Here are a few ways that you can manage the cost of pet care, or money-saving tips on pet care and plan for the worst financial scenarios. Please pass these resources on and feel free to add any we missed in the comments section below.
Buy in bulk. While the smallest bag of pet food seems to cost the least, it can actually cost the most per pound. A 3-lb. Check out our guest blogger Nikki Moustaki’s tips for making your personal pet toys and saving money on pet treats, or try out our recipes for homemade family pet treats.99 online, and a 15-lb. bag is $42.29. If I buy the same amount of cat food in 3-lb. quantities I end up paying $89.95 for 15 lbs. of food - more than twice as much! Some pet specialists also recommend buying higher-quality food to reduce the expense of pet health care in the long term.
Be prepared before you adopt. The costs of owning a pet can vary, and can range from about $500 to about $10,000 a year for a dog and between about $300 and $5,000 a year for a cat. End up being fore you adopt, check out our breakdowns, Estimated Annual Dog Care Costs and Estimated Annual Cat Care Costs.
Spay or neuter your pet. The best way to avoid having a litter you can’t afford is to spay or neuter your pet - and you’ll also prevent costly health and behavior problems (read our article Why Spay or Neuter?). Spaying and neutering doesn’t have to be expensive: Find a low or no-cost spay/neuter clinic near you.
Make your own treats and toys. bag of my cat’s (admittedly very high-end) food costs $17.
Be prepared for unexpected costs. Having pet insurance can prepare you for unforeseen vet bills. Our partner, PetFirst, offers a low-cost pet-insurance plan for only $5 for the first month. Of course, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, so check out our Pet Health section for tips on keeping your pet healthy.
Do you know of organizations that help pet owners during times of need, whether by providing lower-cost medical care, donating pet food to food banks, temporarily housing pets whose parents are in the military or have lost their homes, or in any other way? We’re compiling a list, so tell us below!
If you are a new cat owner, you might also like:
- FurKeeps: Get it right from the start
- Pets on a Budget: Weekly tips for the cash-conscious pet owner
- Pets on a Budget: Easy homemade pet toys