Owning a pet can be a wonderful thing. They are loyal, loving companions that can act as supportive friends and entertaining housemates. Whether it’s a dog, cat, or some other animal, pets can enrich our lives unlike anything else.
However, pets come at a price. There are a number of costs, both obvious and hidden, that owners need to be aware of. If you’re thinking of bringing a furry friend into your home, you’ll need to properly plan and make arrangements to ensure you are ready. We’ve put together a guide on how to financially prepare before adopting an animal. Keep reading to check it out.
Get Your Pet Insured
When it comes to pets, vet bills are often the single highest expenditure owners can expect to see. The bills can be significant, with costs for medicine or treatments often crippling. The very best way to avoid being hit with a stinging vet bill is to get your pet insured as quickly as possible. Getting insurance for your pets will work to cover any potential vet bills and save you taking the financial hit.
Food
After vet bills, food often comes in as the most expensive aspect of vet ownership. Particularly for larger pets like some breeds of dog, pets can eat a lot of food and owners can see themselves forking out regularly to keep their furry friend’s belly full.
One of the best ways to avoid spending over-the-odds for pet food is to carefully research and compare different brands. Each will come with different ingredients and nutritional content, and of course with different price tags. Avoid going for the cheapest option, this can only work to harm your pet through inadequate nutrition and can led to expensive vet visits later in their life.
You must strive to strike a balance between affordability and quality to ensure you are proving healthy meals for your pet at a price you can afford.
Grooming
Using a professional pet grooming service can be expensive and may need to be done regularly for long-haired animals. Learning how to groom your pet yourself can help you cut down on these costs, while it will also work to strengthen the bond between you and your buddy. A simple brush can often do the trick, with pets like cats taking care of most of their other grooming needs themselves. Trimming nails should be done regularly too, this can reduce any furniture scratching or damage and can prevent your pet from injuring their paw with nails or claws that are too long.
Think Outside The Box
If you want to truly cut the cost of pet care, you’re going to have to think creatively. Rather than buying that expensive toy from the pet shop, see how your pet reacts to a homemade toy first. These can be constructed quickly and cheaply from household items, just make sure it doesn’t pose a sharp or choking risk.
Cats are particularly easy to entertain on a budget. Many of them will get endless hours of fun out of something as basic as a cardboard box or paper bag. They seem to love the crinkling sound paper makes, so try out homemade paper toys with your cat before spending on shop-bought entertainment.
Conclusion
Don’t be put off of getting a pet by worrying that it’s going to break the bank. In fact, there are several ways you can reduce the costs of pet ownership. Get your furry friend insured, choose their food carefully, groom them at home, and build them some homemade toys.
