Are Pets Worth the Money in these Economic Times?
Times are tough, and everyone is looking to try and cut money out of their budgets. But is there room in your budget for pets? For those of us who already have pets, we could hardly handle the thought of losing our little critter because we could not afford the expense. But those thinking of buying a furry friend may be thinking twice in these economic times. But should they? The fact of the matter is pets are generally worth much more than the expense of caring for them.
Pets generally do not require a lot of expense. Your regular expenses may include food and preventative medications to ensure they do not suffer illness from common diseases. You will have to get shots for your dog or cat and you may want to consider fixing them, but if you are strapped for cash there are places you can go that offer cheaper services for those with low income. The expensive aspect of pet care comes from the irregular costs you may incur if your pet were to get sick. This is why preventative measures are so important. Vet bills can be quite costly, and when your pet has diabetes or cancer, these trips will add up quick. You cannot always plan or control for these kinds of expenses, but if you provide a healthy diet, regular exercise routine, and preventive medications for your pet, it will go a long way to reduce the likelihood that you may have to return to the vet more often than you would like.
And how much money does it really cost to keep a pet? The numbers vary and again will depend on the choices you make in your pet care. But to get some ballpark figures, statistics suggest that a dog may cost you around $750 per year whereas a cat is closer to $350. These figures seem a bit high to me, and your yearly cost will vary based on where you live and the particular needs of your pet breed. Our family dog is a lab mutt who eats a 40 pound bag of dog food every two and a half months, and that coupled with her annual visit to the vet only comes to about $500 for the year, and this includes her heartguard and bordetella shot. But even taken at face value, these figures show how inexpensive keeping a pet can be. A dog will cost you around two dollars a day whereas a cat is under a dollar a day. And for this small price, they offer us so much in return.
If you are considering buying a pet in these hard economic times, you may want to consider the benefits to owning a pet rather than their costs. Pets offer a type of companionship unparalleled by humans, as they provide support and loyalty in even the most destitute of circumstances. They can positively impact both our physical and mental health, and they help reduce stress in a variety of ways. In fact, pets may help lower blood pressure better than some medications currently on the market. They encourage us to go out and exercise, as we may feel the need to walk our dog in a scenic park. And they encourage others to approach us, which in turn increases our feelings of social support or connectedness to those around us. In short, if we are feeling the pinch of these tough economic times, pets can get us back on a positive track to life, which is well worth the dollars a day we may have to spend on our furry friends.
