How Much Do Pets Cost?

We all know that having pets can be hard on your budget, but how much do they really cost? We have 2 cats and a small dog, so every budget we make, there’s most likely something that they need. Today I’m going to break down for you how much we’ve spent in the past year, and maybe it will help you decide if you are financially ready for pets.

The Dog

We have a sweet but kind of crazy 9 year old poodle/ spaniel mix, Ellie.

First of all she needs grooming because of her fur type, it grows out and then we get it cut every 2 months or so. We buy food every 1.5 – 2 months, plus treats. Vet costs and flea and tick prevention are normal expenses.

From March 2019 – February 2020

Grooming – $377

Canned food and treats – $183.84

Regular food – $308.13

Flea & tick prevention – $318

MISC vet appointments – $270.23

Annual vet visit and vaccines – $158.40

Dog Total: 1615.60

The Cats

We have 2 cats, one a 16 year old half maine coon and a 6 year old short hair cat. Luckily they are a lot less expensive than the dog!

From March 2019 – February 2020

Vet – $100.44

Food – $365.33

Cat litter – ~$108 (we buy cat litter in our grocery budget so I don’t know this exact number)

Cat Total: $573.77

Total

From March 2019 to February 2020 we spent $2189.37 on our animals! This number did surprise me when I totalled it all up, but of course they are worth it!

Final Thoughts

I hope this helps open your eyes to the true cost of pets. Luckily in the past year we haven’t had any major expenses with the animals, but our dog will need a tooth cleaning soon which is estimated to cost us around $1000. We have also had to take the dog to the emergency vet in the past which is expensive.

Having an emergency fund will help if you have any unexpected expenses for your animals (or for yourself!)