Printable View
Have you ever worked out the weekly, monthly or annual amount you spend on your pets. It would be interesting to work out some averages because I think some people get dogs or other pets without having any idea how much it will cost them to keep their animals well fed and in good health.
I haven't calculated it as an amount per week, but it is probably quite a lot. I usually have four pets but just one dog, as a rough calculation I spend about £75 per month on pet food, £25 on cat litter, sawdust and bedding and on top of that there would also be grooming, having claws trimmed, vet costs, annual injections, treats and toys. It is scary when you stop to think about it but I wouldn't change a thing.
I spend on average £80-£100 a WEEK on their food...........meat, fish, eggs & organs. As I mentioned before there are no co-ops or freebies going over here. I could buy commercial packs of raw mince/complete raw meals much cheaper, but after doing alot of research I came to the conclusion that the only way of me knowing exactly what they were eating was to buy it and sort it out myself. On top of this I spend about £90 a month on pet insurance for the 3 of them.
That is a lot of money Stephanie, but we all want to do the best we can for our pets and that is expensive.
In recent years pet insurance hasn't been possible due to the particular circumstances, but I have set aside a sum of money each month so that when I have needed to get treatment for my pets I had money available.
I know I work to pay for my pets really, but I don't mind. I am lucky I don't have any children to worry about, just me and the other half here and we live a pretty simple life. Meat prices do bug me though, one pack of 2.2kilos of red deer chunks comes in just under £25 and then I read over in the States that they can just pick up deer from road kill or from hunters for nothing or next to nothing...........Goat meat is similarly, if not more expensive. Lamb prices bug me enormously - how come English lamb that is grown and killed in this country is more expensive than the New Zealand lamb that we have to get imported all the way over here during the winter months???Quote:
Originally Posted by Justontime
I am not moaning, or maybe I am, but I do wish raw feeding was more popular over here I would love to belong to a co-op - they buy in bulk from the main suppliers and split the meat/prices between members. Wish there was something like that round here.
I recently found what I think is a really good insurance deal. It has an £80 excess but other than this, it looks pretty good. Fixed price for most dogs and cats, lifetime cover, up to £10,000 a year. I have Roddy on this cover. Jakey and Ruby I have to keep with Tescoes because they have pre-existing health conditions that wouldn't be covered by any new insurance. Here's the link: VetsMediCover - Specialists in Pet Insurance Lifetime Cover the form asks about vaccination, if like me you don't vaccinate, you just mark it off as no, this only excludes you from any claim if the dog comes down with something that is vaccinable.Quote:
Originally Posted by kernow
No, and I'm not sure I want to. :} I spend whatever is necessary so I just don't think about it much.
Orrymain, I never used to think about it, meat prices just seem to have gone up so much lately.............
Stephanie, thanks for the insurance link, it sounds very good. You are right about meat prices, they are stupidly high.
The way I see it my pets are my joy, they are part of our family, I don't drink alcohol, I don't smoke and I don't go out socially very often. I choose to spend my money on my pets and my family and I don't grudge a penny of it.
LOL, same story here :)Quote:
Originally Posted by kernow
I think that is the most important thing Kernow. When we have pets their care and their health is our responsibility, for most of us they are part of the family and their care should be one of the highest priorities in our budget.
I've done the averages.... With the food we buy & the number of animals we have (2 dogs, 2 cats), we can safely set aside $40/month for the animals and usually have some left at the end of the year for Christmas goodies. This year, I don't think the dogs will like their goodies too much. Although their 'goodies' will be more for my enjoyment - they are gonna get fixed!
I still haven't figured it out. Maybe it's because I just don't care about the expense part. I love them and I need them.
Interesting words Orrymain but absolutely right, I need my pets in my life too.
That is a very responsible Christmas present! I am surprised that you can manage to feed your pets on such a small sum per month, I spend a lot more than that.Quote:
Originally Posted by phoenyxstarr
It varies per doggie anyway. Add in the medical and it can be super high.
Yes it does depend on the size and special needs of the dog. I agree vet costs can be massive.Quote:
Originally Posted by Orrymain
phoenyxstarr, I think that is a very responsible and sensible present for your dogs. I once nearly lost a dog due to a womb infection since then I have always made sure my pets were fixed, better safe than sorry.
I've spent thousands over the years and have no regrets.Quote:
Originally Posted by kernow