Well I'm an animal person who doesn't really feel at home without pets! So of course I am biased.
I don't know how much they cost over a year. I don't immunise my dogs/cats as I don't immunise my kids! I live in a high tick area so that prevention costs about $20 per month. Probably $10 per week to feed. I have a dog that requires clipping so that's about $25 per 8 week period...
Cats much the same.
For me though it's a non negotiable as they're part of the family.
I think some household insurance companies allow you to cover your pets.RACQ in Qld is one. HTH
Thanks Inanna. I am not a dog person really (I would never ever abuse an animal, but I don't feel that friendship with them that others seem to). However, my daughter is undeniably an animal lover and she is just so happy and at ease with this little dog. So I want to give her that, but I also know that we are (and I'm being positive for once) going to have a new baby soon and have to take that into account as well.
$20 a week is more than affordable, I'm not so sure about vet bills though.
Vet bills can vary depending on the health of the dog, naturally! We take ours only once a year for their annual injections and heartworm (you can do a heartworm injection once a year instead of the costly once per month tablet) and for two medium sized dogs, it costs us around $250. We go through one bag of dry food per week, costs $14 and one box of chewy treats at $5. This is the total for both.
ETA - Wanted to add that DD ADORES the dogs and they are fantastic with her. She loves cats, but doesn't like to touch them, but will pat our dogs and ask to go and play with them.
The decision over a cat vs dog is a really personal thing.Usually the cost to buy the animal is the cheapest part of the actual purchase. My furbabies are a complete part of my family. I know if I didnt have them ( and I do provide them with a life , that if i was ever to be reincarnitated, I would want to be owned by me) that there would be a lot of spare money floating around. Animals provide you with unconditional love, no matter what. That is priceless in my world!
Dogs you will need to pay registration for each year to the local council and this varies and depends on whether the dog is desexed or not. Anywhere from $40 to $90 a year.
Both dogs and cats will require worming. Worming brands differ in cost. For example some dog brands cover everything apart from heart worm and you will need another different one to cover that. There is also the ease of giving wormers. The super dooper easy place it on the back of the neck kinds are more expensive. Wormers are based on weight, so a smaller dogs worming will cost less than larger dogs.
Vet visits - a consultation cost is roughly $50 starting cost. Vaccinations vary depending on what it is and some places offer discounts depending on what other services you use and if you have multiple pets.
Dog / Cat Food - well it really depends. You can feed the super el cheapo no label stuff from the supermarket to the more expensive brands from the supermarket. There are pet store lines as well. This is where you need to do your research. There are loads of preseratives in these foods! Just like people, animals can have reactions to items. And its not nice at all! You can consider things like the BARF diet ( raw food). If you are willing to put some time and energy in, you could cook up rice and vegetables and freeze, and then add in fresh meat from a pet store. It would work out cheaper in the long run and a lot healthier for your animal as well. There are also natural things you can add like a bit of Garlic to keep fleas away.
The biggest thing is the UNEXPECTED vet bills that arise. You need to either have pet insurance or put some money aside in case something happens. At the end of last year, one of our furbabies was injured and required emergency surgery. It was not a cheap exercise at all.
If there is anything you want to ask, no matter how minor or even if you feel it might be silly to ask, feel free to PM me
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