Can you afford the costs of having a pet?

My brother has wanted a dog for as long as he can remember. He begged my parents for about five years, and eventually gave up in the face of unusually stern resistance on the behalf of the Parental Unit.

Beyond the work involved in having a pet, a large part of The Unit’s resistance is a simple matter of finance; simply put, they couldn’t really afford a dog.

So you really want a pet

Whether or not you can afford one depends on what kind of pet you are thinking about.

Mice cost a couple of dollars, plus the expense of the cage (about $20 on eBay) and food.

Goldfish are similarly priced. If you can content yourself with these kind of pets, then generally you can afford it. This is contingent upon whether or not you can afford the time and energy of looking after a pet, even a pet as low maintenance as a goldfish.

Can you ensure that there will be someone to feed it every day if you go away?

If there is one thing my brother has heard repeatedly, it is that you can’t just assume that your parents/ siblings/ closest friends will be able to look after it. If you travel a lot for work or like to jaunt off with little notice every couple of months, think seriously about whether you can afford the hassle of finding people to look after your animal dependants while you’re gone..

So how much does it cost to keep an animal generally?

Keep in mind the costs beyond the actual purchase of an animal. There’s the cost of housing it, feeding it, immunising it, and taking it to the vet when it gets sick. Take a dog for instance.

Pet education suggests thinking seriously about spending money upfront on a dog (which can be huge, from $500 to $1000) as they will cost you a lot less over a 12 year lifespan than a poorly bred $150 dog. This article has a table of how much can be spent on a dog, and it’s surprising how much they estimate will be necessary if you’re going to treat your animal properly. The author spent $12, 500.00 and he thought of himself as a miser.
If your little girl is crazy about horses, then prepare to spend a lot of money. You may think that you’ll be saving on all the horse riding lessons she insists in, but beware, the upkeep of a horse can crack $3000 per annum according to AusPet.

Think about whether you can commit to taking proper care of the animal over its entire lifespan (which, lets be honest, will probably outlast your children’s time at home). Don’t fall into the trap of The Unit, who bought guinea pigs thinking them to be a pet to distract their dog-obsessed child for a time only to have them grow to the size of a small housecat and live happily for years on end.

Having a pet is a wonderful experience, but it doesn’t come cheap. It’s important to understand the costs around having an animal and caring for it properly. If you may not be able to afford to keep it in the best possible care, then maybe you should content yourself with plants for a while.

I’m a big fan of cacti myself. They may not love you back in the same kind of way, but they also don’t reproach you should you leave them untended for a couple of days.

Would the cost of having a pet determine whether you could own one?

Drop your thoughts below in the comment section.

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