25% of Americans who love pets are afraid that they won’t be able to afford pets much longer. 20% of them say they’re in debt at least $2,000 in “Pet Debt”.
Yeah, that and “Pet Poverty” are new phrases that describe how much it costs to own and raise our furry family members carries over into the ability to take care of ourselves.
Jenny and I totally get it. When we had guinea pigs, we had to decide on a $400 x-ray at one point. I had zero hesitation saying “yes”. A recent survey showed 62% thought pets and humans should receive the same health care. In a different report, 66% of the people said that owning a pet is part of the American Dream.
By the way, the average lifetime cost of pet care for a cat is $32,000. It’s $35,000 for a dog. Vet costs have gone up 60% since 2014. We have friends that spent $17,000 on vet costs for their dog a couple of years ago. I totally understand why they would.
Or you could do what Jenny and I have been doing and just pretend the squirrels are your pets. Sure, neighbors look at you funny when you talk to them all the time. But, you only spend about $5 a week on mixed nuts.