{"id":3223,"date":"2019-09-09T23:11:43","date_gmt":"2019-09-10T03:11:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ovrs.com\/blog\/?p=3223"},"modified":"2019-09-30T15:23:49","modified_gmt":"2019-09-30T19:23:49","slug":"pet-care-expenses","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ovrs.com\/blog\/pet-care-expenses\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Budget for Pet Care Expenses"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Pet care expenses can add up \u2014 even just the basics! Buy a bag of kibble here, a few new toys there, and then add in the annual wellness visit to your vet. You may be surprised when you look closely at the total cost of responsible pet care that we take for granted. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Creating a budget for your pet is helpful in projecting how much you will spend monthly and over the course of the year. It can give you insight into how much to expect to spend in the future and how you may be able to control unnecessary expenditures. A budget can even help you better plan for those anticipated expenses, like vaccines, wellness visits and parasite control. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oakland Veterinary Referral Services<\/a> has useful ways you can put together a budget to keep your pet\u2019s wellbeing a priority year-round.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Pet Care Expenses: Average Cost of Owning a Pet<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Depending on the pet’s breed and size, the average can vary greatly. A pet\u2019s health plays a key role in cost, too, since an ill pet requires more veterinary care and medications. Dogs outweigh cats in the average cost of pet ownership, while bigger breeds are usually more expensive (the bigger the pet, the more they eat and use).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, the annual cost of dog ownership<\/a> is, on the low end, $400 up to $2000, unless they are a puppy, which is more like $2500. An adult cat will average $400 up to $1800 per year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Monthly Food and Treats<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Food can be calculated per month by how much your pet eats and how often you replace the food. Most pets will require up to $50 per month in food for dogs, unless on a gourmet or special diet<\/a>, which can range into the hundreds. Treats are estimated at about $10-50 per month.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cat food runs from $10-40, with treats ranging $10-50. Most owners will agree that pet treats<\/a> can be one of the bigger monthly expenses, depending on how generous you are with them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Monthly Pet Supplies<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

You likely bought the major pet ownership necessities when you adopted your pet (litter boxes, pet beds, cat trees, a regular leash and collar, and so on). What then can you expect your ongoing monthly budget to be for pet supplies?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are basic costs and estimates for the average pup or cat:<\/p>\n\n\n\n