Penny Pinching With Pets by Roxie Dinstel
FAIRBANKS – Everyone loves pets. More than 55 percent of Americans have one. Dogs and cats are the most popular, but many enjoy the companionship of fish, hamsters, iguanas, snakes, pigs, chickens and goats. They provide companionship and can be cute and cuddly, but they can be expensive to keep. By learning a few money saving tips, you’ll make sure your family friend won’t drain the budget.
The first step comes before you choose a pet. Choose a pet you can afford. Some pets cost little to begin with but are expensive to maintain. Others are expensive to buy, yet cost less in the long run.
If you’ve decided to get a pet, consider visiting an animal shelter. You’ll save money on a pet by adopting from a shelter. Also, most shelters only send animals home with you after they’ve given them the necessary shots and immunizations.
Our local pet shelter not only gives all the shots before putting them up for adoption, but they also require the animals be spayed or neutered.
Check with Fairbanks Pet Shelter (petfinder.com), Homeward Bound Rescue and Referral (hbrr.org), Golden Retriever Rescue (grrf.org), Second Chance League (members.petfinder.com/~AK/index.php), and Pet Pride for cats (petfinder.com). A quick look showed dogs, cats, birds and rabbits of all shapes and sizes.
Also, put the word out that you are looking for a pet among family and friends. Someone might know of animals that need to be adopted because of owners who are moving, facing financial difficulties, have newly discovered allergies or simply don’t have time to invest in a pet. If someone is giving away a pet, they might have supplies and equipment for the animal.
Regardless of what animal you consider for a pet, you will need to spend a certain amount of money to care for it. Food, shelter, toys and health necessities all cost money. Remember, you have another mouth to feed, even if it only weighs five pounds.
For many, food will be the largest expense during the life of your pet. For example, an average-sized dog consuming one can of food with four cups of dry food per day averages to about $25-$40 per month. Multiply that by 8-15 years, and you get an idea of how much you’ll spend on food for your dog.
When it comes to food, you might be tempted to cut costs, but that might not be a good idea. Lower quality dog food might seem like a bargain — you get more for your money, so it must be a good deal. Not necessarily — premium pet foods might be a better bargain during the life of the pet.
Here’s why: less expensive pet foods might offer more for a pet owner’s money, but it is quality, not quantity that counts with pet food. A pet’s body requires certain nutrients, vitamins and minerals, and the pet must eat more of the low-quality food to get the necessary nutrients.
Regardless of what you pay, it is important to get the nutrients needed for your pet. Just like choosing your own food, it is important to read labels to see what you are purchasing. Find the food that provides the most protein and nutrients at the lowest cost. If you aren’t sure, ask the store employees what kind of food would be best for your pet. Purchase pet food in bulk to save money.
Coupons also are available for pet food. Visit www.savings.com and www.coolsavings.com and search “pet coupons.” Both websites have printable coupons to use at local stores and online retailers.
Pets can be a welcome addition to your household. They provide love and companionship. But a pet shouldn’t empty your wallet or drain your finances. Try a few of these tips to decrease the financial burden.
Roxie Rodgers Dinstel is a professor of extension at the Tanana District Office of the UAF Cooperative Extension. Questions or column requests can be emailed to her at rrdinstel@alaska.edu.
Thank you to Roxie for sharing her guest post today!
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Good advice! All N&B do is drain finances, but we love them anyway!