Calculating the cost (scary!)

[puddypaws]

I daren't work it out, but as I haven't bankrupted OH in the last 43 years I think I'm OK.  I think I might be able to squeeze a small furry girl in sometime later.  I just daren't look too often in Purrs shop - all those goodies that Ollie could have ...

[blackcat]

hmmm, handfeeding three horses through a drought is fairly pricy too, especially when one is a lactating mare and another is the foal, growing up to be a big strong anglo-arab ...

[maryas]

A mate of mine has 2 cats, 4 fish, 2 tortoises and until recently when he had to take her to the vet as she had cancer, he also had an Irish Wolfhound.  I dread to think how much he spends on that little lot - especially when George, one of his cats has actually got a genuine Gucci collar!!! 

Mary

[Millys Mum]

Other half buys Whiskas wet food but they are seemingly not interested in this anymore

You could try adult pouches now, the kitten ones always seem to smell more nasty 
Its good to keep them interested in wet food 

[Schmew]

Have to bite the bullet and add them all up, including feeding, litter, flea/vacc/worm, insurance (dogs only), general vets visits, and training for 2 dogs and 3 cats is £177 per month. 

To add an extra dog would take it to £225 per month.....(although cost would go down once we moved out of beginners classes). 

It is frightening to look at (as I've said though, I don't begrudge them a penny as they are my life and I wouldn't swap them for the world), but I think it needs doing to show new pet owners/potential pet owners what the true cost of caring for them properly really is.

However the best thing about this site is finding other people who are as daft as I am about their pets and feeling like I'm in good company!

As always, thanks 

x

[Steve1977]

Ignoring the necessities of vaccinations and neutering etc. our costs cost us about £10 a month on James Well Beloved dry food. Other half buys Whiskas wet food but they are seemingly not interested in this anymore.

[Susanne (urbantigers)]

Add it up, cry and then look at their little faces and think - oh, what the hell!!!!!   

Yup - they're worth every penny.  I'll happily go without stuff like holidays in order to care for my boys.

[Desley (booktigger)]

I daren't work it out, I just buy cat food when I need it and dont always think of seeing how long it lasts. I do know that I spent around £1k at the vets last year (well, the bulk was paid by the insurance company, and some direct without me having to find it first) and it was slightly more than that the year before - and that was only with 2 cats. i got Tigers last insurance payout and found out I spent £50 more than I remember doing, which was quite scary. I am terrible at budgeting though, and jsut stick at 2 cats cos I always get one that is expensive and woudlnt want to take on a third and have that have health issues that would cause me to struggle, it wouldnt be fair on the cats. I am lucky to get my cat fix through fostering though.

[maryas]

Never calculated it and I won't be doing.  She is worth every penny that I might spend on her and I'm sure lots of you feel the same.  Fortunately unlike some of you I'm single, no kids and no debts (except my mortgage for a few more years).  You will no doubt have to consider all monies spent.  I still look out for bargains just as I would with every day shopping that I do - bought my Chrismas cards at M&S today for next year!

Add it up, cry and then look at their little faces and think - oh, what the hell!!!!!   

Mary

[karenjet]

Mine cost a lot too. I'm going to England for 6 days tomorrow so ordered their stuff from Tesco online to do them for that time and it was nearly £50. That's for wet food, dry food, cat milk and cat litter. Paid out £20 on advocate for them on Monday. Then the insurance for the 4 of them every month, and lil trips to the vet. . . . it all adds up. They're worth every penny though

Know what you mean, Schmew, I've got 2 jobs too lol.

[Millys Mum]

Oh dear i shouldnt have read that link and notice i spend 2k a year not including vet fees

[Gillian Harvey]

I don't even wanna go there LOL! I've never worked it out, and I don't want to!! 

[Schmew]

Susanne!!!! I must have missed that thread at the time, I shall go and read it now

[Schmew]

In monetary terms I guess they are a bottomless pit but that's not why we have them   Don't begrudge them a penny, just wish I could squeeze another one in!

I know exactly what you mean BC, it's the budgeting time of year that brings this kind of thing up! It's just so scary when you're on your own and have to worry about the what ifs financially.......Part of me thinks live for now and help out another animal, but I'm sensible enough to know that could all go wrong if I couldn't afford to give it everything it needed, which is really important to me (and all others I suspect!).

I have talked myself in and out of this new dog so many times I am going crazy  

However that's not what this is about, I'm genuinely interestd in how people manage!

[Susanne (urbantigers)]

Ah yes - unfortunately I have!  In excess of £100 a month for 2 cats here.

http://www.purrsinourhearts.co.uk/index.php?topic=5309.0

[lucy]

If you looked on it at as investment noone would ever have pets or children!

[blackcat]

ah, yes. I have done those sums several times when trying to work out budgets to afford special items - I usually go without the special item. Strangely an extra (four-legged) mouth to feed always manages to get squeezed in. I have, however, found myself eating the left-overs on occasion

[Schmew]

Has anyone sat and worked out how much it costs to keep their pets? I'm only asking as I'm desperately broody for dog number 3 (I've found her too, although not met her) and have been doing some sums, having just taken on cat number 3 (wel you gotta have equal numbers haven't you  )

Frighteningly, I have worked out that to feed the three adult cats here it costs £30 per month, and I thought I got things cheap! (As in bulk buy Felix tins and pouches from Cost Co, and their own brand biscuits at the moment).

I won't go on with the costs of all the other things I've worked out, but crikey o reilly there's no way I can give up my second job, more like need to look for a third!

Just wondering how other people go on with their costs? I know many of you have many more cats than I do!