This article will aim to provide a comprehensive guide of pet ownership, focusing on pet ownership costs and a few benefits.

Pet ownership costs

Below we describe most costs associated with owning an animal, we will attempt to keep things general so that as many situations as possible apply. Most costs can be saved and/or included in your monthly budget; just estimate how many units, or services, are purchased each month and multiply that with nett costs per unit. Most costs will not be a nice monthly expense, just estimate or calculate based on usage. Rounding upwards and erring on the side of caution is advised, to reduce the chances of a cash shortage and minimise the impact of rising costs. For further reading on budgets, please see 44 Different budgeting methods.

You can use our excel to create your budget; OE excel.

General costs

These are your basic costs; to get a good idea of what each specific creature needs; do a lot of investigating, we mean several hours of looking up sites with real authority and then some. Investigating supplies for each need and potential want that you can provide.

A basic list includes food, some form of toilet (litterbox+filling or plastic bags to remove excrement from sidewalk), a cage or soft bed that it can rest on. Don`t forget about little things that will add up in value overtime, or when ignored can lead to avoidable vet visits. Just remember, the animal has instinct to perform certain actions, it will find a way to do them with something in your house: Furniture is the usual victim of these urges. A cat can use either your couch or a scratching post to maintain its claws.

Occasional costs

• Animals carry different germs than people, so during the first few months it is possible that one of those causes a disease. A previously unknown allergy might also become active. Being surrounded by, and occasional contact, are two completely different things for those with sensitivities.
• Most pets require a yearly check at the vet, including vaccinations. You can anticipate these, so we recommended saving for these visits, including by adding them to the budget.
• New- and replacing toys: Buying a set of good quality toys is a very good start, you just need to add new ones from time to time. There is no fixed interval, besides estimated wear and tear. Just like people, pets want to have shiny new things to play with. Getting toys with educational value is also something that you need diversity in, they will learn how it works and lose interest if given often.

Ways to reduce pet ownership costs

These really are general pieces of advice, as local shopping facilities are likely to have their own shipping costs and sales, which might warrant new calculations.

• If your companion has a (food) product that it has been using consistently for months, you can buy a large quantity at bulk discount. Or take extra advantage of a sale.
• Scouring local media for second-hand furniture and such. Please clean thoroughly before giving it to your pet!
• Getting insurance, this does require a lot of research as it is a cost-benefit analyses. In article 30 The insurance scam we argue that virtually all insurances are mostly costly, this may not apply to your specific situation.

Pet ownership benefits

Besides cold hard cash expenses, pets also bring happiness, stress relief and a glorious distraction from everyday life.

Chemical reaction: The hormonal response is twofold as it reduces the stress hormone cortisol, whilst enhancing oxytocin and dopamine, which boost happiness. In addition interaction with a pet reduces blood pressure. In addition, some animals also require you to perform physical playtime, thereby increasing overall fitness of mind and body (playing with a animal in possession of sharp claws and fangs keeps your mind sharp). Their presence reduces loneliness, as you are no longer alone.

For the unconventional people*, please note that playtime with animals reduces a great many problems, such as learning difficulties in crowded classrooms, for the simple reason that animals rarely discriminate or display hostile behaviour, without cause. Should be remember that learning how to read the animal is an important priority, once bitten the relationship can sour; some sub-species might no longer be considered safe after their first bite, for genuine reasons beyond parent concern.

It would be amiss to omit the following. Many animals can host parasites and bacteria that affect human health, an example: Cats can host a parasite that affects human mental health. Keeping the kitty healthy and washing your hands after cleaning the litterbox, which should be cleaned out regularly anyhow, should reduce risk of infection to a basic minimum chance.

 

*Studies predominantly list ADHD, autism is also mentioned as a less investigated group. The author of this article recommends looking at this on a case by cases basis; animals have personalities as well, sometimes these deviate from their breed description.