Charles Hugh Smith – One of the few joys still available to the average household is a pet. At least this is what I thought until I read 5 money-saving tips people hate, which included the lifetime costs of caring for a pet.

It turns out Poochie and Kittie are as unaffordable as college, housing and healthcare (and pretty much everything else). Over the course of 15 years, small-dog Poochie will set the owner back an eye-watering $17,560 to $93,520, while big-dog Fido costs $22,025 to $82,929 over 12 years.

Kittie is a relative bargain at $16,800 over 15 years.

Some estimates of responsible pet ownership are considerably lower, but non-pet owners may be surprised by 1) how many options for the care of pets are now available and 2) how many medical interventions and treatments are now available, at prices that aren’t much different from human healthcare.

Five-figure bills for pet surgeries and other care are not uncommon. Continue reading →