By: Morgan Koike
At some points in our lives, we have all wanted a pet; whether as a child for something just to play with or as a teenager or adult as a companion and something to spend a part of our life with. The love for animals and pets never ends throughout our lives, and with the constant change in our lifestyles and different incomes, sometimes the amount of money we make can’t help us get what we want. Even if incomes may change throughout our lives, we can still work around the money that we make and find things that can be affordable. So, considering that most lifestyles and incomes are different from one another, what is the most affordable pet? In this blog, I will be describing the varying prices for most commonly owned pets such as dogs, cats, etc. considering their initial cost as well as costs after they are adopted such as the cost of toys and medical bills. There are many types of animals that people commonly own as pets, however, the types I will be referring to the most throughout this blog are dogs, cats, bunnies, fish, rodents (such as guinea pigs, hamsters, and rats), and reptiles (such as lizards, snakes, and turtles).
When considering buying a dog, there are lots of factors that you should initially have an idea of what you want, for example, what type of breed or size of dog you want and where you will get the dog from (a breeder, adoption center, or a rescue). The size and breed of a dog can change the price of different things throughout a dog’s life, such as the amount of food they eat and the toys they need. According to the website MoneyUnder30, the cost of dog food ranges from $30-$50 and the cost of startup supplies (such as bowls, bed/crate, leashes, tags, toys, etc) can range from $50 to $300. Other costs such as medical bills, according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) can range from $210-$260. Something unique that you will have to pay for if you own a dog is a license which states whether or not your dog is updated on their medical information annually. A license for your dog costs $15 annually. With other costs, the yearly cost of owning a dog can range from $1,471-$2,010.
Similar to dogs, the initial cost of buying a cat can vary depending on what breed you get and who you buy it from. The initial cost of buying a cat, according to MoneyUnder30, can be anything from $0-$270. The cost of cat food really depends on what brand you use, if you use a name brand cat food, it can cost anywhere from $100-$200, however, there are definitely cheaper options that you can find throughout other stores. Something that you should consider for all pets but especially for cats is initial medical expenses. Cats need medical exams checking for things such as heartworm or FIV (a disease-specific to cats), so their medical expenses are much higher than other pets, ranging from $160-$300. When considering buying a cat, you should also think about the cost of litter and a litter box as well as unique toys such as a scratching post. Litter can cost upwards of roughly $160 and a scratching post can cost $15 with the addition of other toys and treats that cost $25. Finally, the yearly cost to own a cat is roughly $1,174 according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA).
A pet that isn’t as commonly owned as a cat or a dog, but still a frequently owned animal is a rabbit. Although they may seem like a low-maintenance animal that is fairly easy to own, they are anything but low-maintenance. They need daily cleanings and lots of toys and attention, also just like cats rabbit’s need litter that will be cleaned once in a while. Overall, according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), the yearly cost to own a rabbit is roughly $800. Secondly, another group of animals that are commonly owned as pets is rodents (such as guinea pigs, hamsters, and rats). Rodents don’t need a lot of things, of course, they need food and water, but the most unique thing that they need is a cage to live in. Other than needing to clean their cage roughly every week, rodents are really low maintenance animals and they have very little medical expenses because their lives are so short. The total cost to own a rodent is roughly $375. Similar to rodents, another group of animals that are commonly owned as pets is reptiles (such as lizards, snakes, and turtles). Depending on where you buy a reptile from, it can be extremely expensive or really cheap, and the yearly cost to own different types of reptiles can vary. According to the website PetPlace, the total cost of a snake is roughly $250-$450 and the total cost of a lizard is roughly $190-$260 with all of their needs considered such as the food they need to eat. Finally, possibly the cheapest animal to own as a pet: the fish. Fishes only need a one-time adoption payment and the aquarium doesn’t need to be anything super expensive, however, they do need food and the cost of cleaning the aquarium could have upwards of $200. Roughly the total cost to own a fish, according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) is only $225.
In conclusion, the most important thing to know when owning a pet is to make sure you have an emergency fund prepared in case if anything goes wrong or you have an emergency payment that you normally wouldn’t be able to afford. I recommend that you put money in your savings account for both yourself and your pet, but even putting away money into jars at your house as an emergency fund would work too. Life as a pet owner may be extremely expensive, but the happiness and love that you get from your pet are all worth it. If you are looking for an extremely cheap animal and just something fun to have around in places like college where you need a low-maintenance and low-commitment animal, then I recommend you get a fish. However, if you have more money to be able to afford an animal that you want as your companion, I recommend you do a lot of research on what specific qualities you want from your pet and then decide on what animal best suits you. Also consider what breed of that animal you want, because the breed of a dog, as well as the size of a dog, can be really impactful to the price. In combination with saving an emergency fund, calculate what it would cost to own that animal and compare it with your income, make sure to ask yourself whether or not you can handle this responsibility. Finally, make sure to enjoy your pet with every day that you have them because even though they are expensive now, every minute you have with your pet is a moment to cherish.
Works Cited
ASPCA. “Pet Care Costs.” Aspca.org, www.aspca.org/sites/default/files/pet_care_costs.pdf.
Contributor, Kuddly. “Pets for the Apartment.” Kuddly, 1 Feb. 2016, www.kuddly.co/living/pets-for-the-apartment/.
Williams, Dr. John. “What It Costs to Own a Reptile.” RSS, PetPlace, 8 Sept. 2015, www.petplace.com/article/reptiles/general/what-it-costs-to-own-a-reptile/.
Writers, Staff. “The True Cost to Own a Pet.” MoneyGeek.com, MoneyGeek, 24 Jan. 2020, www.moneygeek.com/financial-planning/cost-of-owning-a-pet/.
Written by David Weliver | Modified date: March 10, et al. “The Annual Cost Of Pet Ownership: Can You Afford A Pet?” Money Under 30, www.moneyunder30.com/the-true-cost-of-pet-ownership.
I really enjoyed reading this, and it was so different from what others have been doing and I really liked that! You had so much good information about different pets, and I never realized how expensive they can be. Your really put into perspective everything that a pet comes with in terms of medical bills, toys, and even to adopt them. My family has a golden doodle and we got him from a breeder. He was an expensive dog, but his medical bills are even more expensive. Despite that we still love him. This blog could really help me when I'm older and want to get a pet because you gave multiple options that will fit you and how much you can afford. Great job!
ReplyDeleteThis blog really helped in deciding if I can handle an animal like a cat or a dog both financially but physically having to take it outside everyday etc.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading this article because I think that many teenagers and young adults think about how much it cost to get a pet and the upkeep it comes with. There was a lot of really great information about the different types of pets that people can get and the breakdown of the cost for each type of pet. Taking into consideration the cost for each part of the pets wellbeing, like medical bills, the different breads and the toys for the pets is a crucial part in owning a pet. I think it was a little hard to read because there was so much information at once; maybe making a list of the different expenses for each part would have been more clear and easy to read the info but overall, this was very well written and informational.
ReplyDeleteThis is extremely helpful. Most households have pets and with this it makes it a lot easier to determine not only what pet to get but how affordable and how much you should accommodate for it. I know a lot of people who want pets but don't know the first thing about taking care of them or how much it costs. If people read this before buying a pet, it would also lower the amount of pets that are abandoned or sent back to shelters because they can't afford another member in the house.
ReplyDeleteThis blog was helpful in figuring out how much a pet really costs to own and i found it to be a enjoyable topic to read about.
ReplyDeleteI like this article lot because it is very useful but also a very unique idea for a blog post. I have always wondered if I could manage taking care of a pet due to the time and money it takes. I really enjoyed how you used multiple examples for different pets so we can see the different price ranges.
ReplyDeleteAshley Anderson - One of my favorite blog posts I've read so far (not only because I love animals, but because you did such an amazing job explaining!). I could really connect with everything you explained in your post. For example, a few years ago I decided to purchase a rabbit. I didn't know what I was getting myself into at the time, so my parents helped me figure out what the costs of having a rabbit were. From my own experience of owning many pets, I know how much it costs to take care of them (baths, food, supplies, vet trips, etc.). I also love how you included why it is necessary to have an emergency fund in case something happens to your pet unexpectedly. My PSA topic is on emergency funds, so I could really connect to that as well. Overall, really great job with this blog post!
ReplyDeleteMorgan, your blog post was very interesting. Owning a pet can be very expensive and you showed that. You talked about the price of food for dogs being 100-200 dollars. I was confused because you continue to buy food to feed your dog. Was the cost the average yearly cost? The part about the rabbit was interesting because you would think owning a rabbit would be cheaper than 800 a year. Great job!
ReplyDeleteI really loved this blog. I think you did a amazing job explaining the different things that each animal needs and the different costs. I liked how you had the costs ranging too, so we had a very general idea of what the costs were. I think this article is very helpful for many teens because teens don't really think about the specific costs for animals and they just want to get one.
ReplyDeleteI think pets are worth the prices you discussed in the post. I couldn't imagine life without my dog so any cost would be worth it for her. This puts things into perspective though for when I eventually live on my own and have to pay for things by myself.
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