How to have a pet on a limited budget

Sometimes it seems like the only people who can afford pets are the wealthy! Certainly it is easier to manage the routine and emergency pet care when money isn’t a problem. But being financially challenged does not mean you are limited to house plants and a goldfish! In this post I am going to go over some strategies you can use to be a great pet parent regardless of your financial situation! You CAN have a pet on a limited budget!

The key is planning ahead, if you can

We don’t always choose to adopt a pet- sometimes they pick us. However, if you can plan ahead a bit it will make managing the first year or so much easier.

First, you have to look at your budget and be realistic.

• How much extra money do you have each month, for the last 3-6 months?
• What can you eliminate from your current spending to free up additional cash?
• Is your housing stable, and what kind of pet deposit will you need to save up?
• What are your transportation options? Do you have a car, or are you limited to public transportation?

The answers to these questions will help guide your choice of pet (or your choice to wait). For instance, if you are limited to public transportation, then I would recommend you stick to pets small enough that you can comfortably place them in a carrier. Many buses will not allow big dogs on board.

If your housing is not stable and you move frequently, you might want to wait a while and focus on saving up the money you will need for a pet deposit.

The first time I made this assessment, right after I graduated college, I immediately realized I was not ready to have a pet. I moved frequently (every 3-6 months), my income was inconsistent and I was often living in situations where pets were not allowed. So I waited.

Waiting for my dream pet…

I also made the best decision I have ever made financially: I started saving money towards my future pet! Some months I could barley afford to sock away $5, sometimes I could sneak a whole $30 away. It varied. But I was consistent in putting this money aside and not using it no matter what happened! It was for my pet, and nothing else.

2 years later I was finally in the right place to get my first pet, my wonderful calico Queen Boo Boo. The money I had saved over the years covered my pet deposit, all the new-pet supplies I needed for the first 6 months AND her first year of veterinary care! Even though I spent the majority of that year unemployed (another story), I was still able to be a great pet parent. She had everything she needed to grow into a healthy cat!

How much money will you need?

This is not an easy question to answer. It really depends on many factors. If you want a big dog, your expenses will be much higher than for a smaller one. A bigger dog will eat more food. Medications, such as flea and heartworm preventatives, will cost more for a bigger dog. Also, the cost of a spay or neuter will be more for a bigger breed than a smaller one.

If you plan on having a cat that goes outdoors, then you will want to save some extra money to cover typical outdoor-cat emergencies. Outdoor kitties often get into fights, leading to wounds and abscesses. You will also need to be diligent in keeping up their flea control and vaccinations. Outdoor cats are much more likely to be exposed to rabies than an indoor cat, for instance.

If you adopt from a shelter or rescue, it might cost more at the beginning but you won’t have many additional Vet expenses at first. Most pets from shelters and rescues have at least started their vaccinations and are usually altered before their adoption.

A young puppy or kitten is going to cost you more, for vaccinations and spay/neuter, than an older one that has already had these done. You might be better off getting a young pet (6-15 months) rather than an 8 week old baby.

I recommend budgeting an additional $60 a month for a small dog or cat, up to $150 a month for a giant-breed dog. Why these numbers? You should be able to manage a cat or small dog on around $30 a month in most locations. The other $30 can either be saved for a pet emergency or used to buy pet insurance.

Emergencies MUST be part of the plan

The worst part of having a pet while you have limited financial means is that you are generally less-able to afford an emergency. There is nothing more heartbreaking than being in an emergency vet hospital, facing a huge bill you can’t afford to pay.

Veterinay clinics are not banks. They usually will not allow you to pay for care in installments. Most emergency clinics require a full deposit before they will treat your pet. A hit-by-car situation can easily land you a $4000 bill in an ER. So how do you plan for having a pet on a limited budget?

Here are a few things you can do in advance to plan for a pet emergency:

• Get quality pet insurance immediately after you get your pet, before you take them in for their first vet visit. Keep it for the life of your pet.
• Keep a credit card with a low balance handy for an emergency. Make sure the limit is as high as you can manage.
• If you have good credit, apply for Care Credit. Care Credit is a medical credit card. It can be used for medical expenses for both humans and pets! Many Vet and emergency clinics accept Care Credit. In most cases, a bill over $300 can be financed for up to 6 months with no interest as long as you make the minimum monthly payments. This gives you time to spread the extra expense around! Care Credit saves lives! If you can only do one thing to plan for an emergency, do this one!
• Save as much money as you can, consistently, and don’t dip into it for anything else. Unfortunately, for a major emergency this might not be enough. But having at least a few hundred you can grab quickly will help.

Managing a pet on a limited budget

Congratulations! You are read to bring home a new bundle of fur! Here are a few final thoughts on having a pet on a limited budget.

Consider crate training your dog

For dogs, crate training from the very beginning is a fantastic way to both train your new dog and keep them safe when you are away. You can often find crates at garage or yard sales, or used online. Keeping a dog crated while you are away will keep them out of trouble and reduce the chances of an emergency.

A crated dog isn’t going to eat chicken bones out of the garbage. Or get into the medicine cabinet. Or eat that bag of raisins you left out on the kitchen counter.

Don’t leave your dog outside while you are away. Gates get opened. Fences get jumped or dug under. Pets get stolen.

Opt to have an indoor cat

Keep your cat indoors. Indoor cats live longer. They have fewer emergencies as well. They might not need as many vaccinations as an outdoor kitty (they still need some vaccines, of course). If you want your cat to enjoy time outside, harness-and-leash train them! Or build a Catio (cats using catios should be vaccinated as an outdoor kitty, since they can be exposed to the same nasties).

Save money by having the vaccinations done at a vaccine clinic

I am not a huge fan of vaccine clinics, but if you use them like this they can save you a lot of money. Basically, a vaccine clinic is where a vet does a quick exam on your pet and then gives them the needed vaccines. The process is usually done in under 8 minutes. Pet stores often advertise these clinics a few weeks in advance, so you can plan ahead and bring your pet on that day. The cost of the vaccinations is usually substantially less than at a veterinary clinic.

A vaccine clinic exam will not replace your pets yearly exam! You will still want to take your pet in for a comprehensive exam and discussion with your local vet at least once every 12 months. Vaccine clinics are only about whether the pet is healthy enough to have the vaccines. It is quick and it is NOT the same exam a regular Vet will provide.

At one of my local vaccines clinics, the cost of the vaccines is about half what the local vets charge. Vaccine clinics buy their stock in bulk and see more patients every hour. They only do vaccines and so they don’t have the equipment or staff costs of a full service Vet clinic. This allows them to charge less for doing vaccines-only. Use this to your financial advantage!

With a little planning and determination, you CAN have a pet on a limited budget!

Do you have a good tip for managing a pet on a limited budget? Please share it in the comments section or on our Facebook page!