It’s true, you can’t put a price on love. Still, loving and caring for pets can be extremely costly.
A typical cat owner spends $673 yearly per cat, the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association finds in a national survey; a large dog costs about $1,160. That includes everything from food to routine vet visits to toys. Both figures exclude surgical costs.
We calculated the monthly costs of caring for one of our dogs. Our list isn’t designed to dissuade anyone from getting pets, because we wouldn’t trade ours for a million bucks. And it’s especially not meant to dissuade people from saving dogs at shelters or from rescue groups. We just want people to know what they might be getting into. The home a rescued animal goes to should be its last.
Monthly costs
Pet: Zola Budd Rose
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Breed: Retired greyhound
Age: 8
Dog walker: $60 a week X 4 weeks = $240
Medication: $50 (anti-inflammatory and thyroid medicine)
Chiropractic treatment: $80 for one at-home visit to treat racing injury
Cooked bones and treats: $60
Food: $80
Total: $510
Excludes winter booties and sweaters, annual heartworm treatment and shots, grooming supplies and squeaky toys.
(P.S. In a recent APPMA study, 70 percent of pet owners said hanging with their pets makes them feel better when they’re stressed. So having a pet could help reduce your health costs.)