The real cost of having pets

Fire_Fox

Most struggling people on the poverty line don't have kids, LondonTiger , maybe research which sections of society really are living on the lowest incomes.

gettingready

Fire_Fox wrote: »

Most struggling people on the poverty line don't have kids, LondonTiger , maybe research which sections of society really are living on the lowest incomes.

Single people , working full time and with no access to benefits perhaps?

Fire_Fox

gettingready wrote: »

Single people , working full time and with no access to benefits perhaps?

:think: Yup and single homeowners, out of work with access to basic benefits. Or singletons working between 16 and 30 hours per week, single retired folks without a private pension ....

rising_from_the_ashes

gettingready wrote: »

Single people , working full time and with no access to benefits perhaps?

Fire_Fox wrote: »

:think: Yup and single homeowners, out of work with access to basic benefits. Or singletons working between 16 and 30 hours per week, single retired folks without a private pension ....

You've both hit it absolutely bang on ..... if you're single you've had it!:(

gettingready

OK back to topic.....

was:

Zara:

Food - Skinners, 15kg bag lasts 42 days and (costs £24.00 t VetUK with delivery) so monthly works out at around £18 per month
Insurance - £48
Dog walker - £ 130 per month
Ester C (3 for 2 at Boots at £19 lasts 2 months) £10.00 per month
Salmon Oil, bottle (£23) lasts 2 months so £12.50 per month
Flea treatment £11.40 (4 months supply Advantage from AnimeDirect) so £3
Worming - Drontal, £4.10 from AnimedDirect, every 3 months so £1.40 per month

Together Zara (no treats/new collar etc, just the basic upkeep) £223.00 per month

Cats:

Litter, Oko PLus, 40 liters from Zooplus around £24, lasts 2 months (I think) so £12.00 per month
Insurance for the 4 of them - £75.83 :eek::eek::eek:
Cats dry food - no idea as got enough for the next 10 years at home
Cats wet food – 10x6 tins of Classic from Asda £26.00
Cats worming drontal - around 1.5 per tablet, 4 tablets £6 every 3 months so £1.50 per month
Cats flea treatment - Advantage, £9.50 per month

Cats total (no dry food/toys etc) £91.00 per month £124.83

Together - £347.83 per month on my lot.....down from nearly £500…originally but up again due to insurance for the cats jumping up.....

Recalculation (monthly):

Zara:

Dog walker - £100 per month (ufffffffffffffffffff big sigh of relief, the new girl is brilliant)
Food - Skinners, 15kg bag lasts 42 days and (costs £24.00 t VetUK with delivery) so monthly works out at around £18 per month
Insurance - £48
Flea treatment £11.40 (4 months supply Advantage from AnimeDirect) so £3
Worming - Drontal, £4.10 from AnimedDirect, every 3 months so £1.40 per month
Ester C and Fish oil no longer but Efavet tablets work out around £30 per month as one pack of 100 at £26 does not last a whole month

So - Zara totakl now: £200.40 per month

Cats:

Litter - Tigerino free at the moment as got enough till December BUT lets say £15 per month (if I stick to Tigerino grrrrrrr)
Insurance for the 4 of them - £83.60 :eek::eek::eek:
Cats dry food - no idea as got enough for the next 10 years at home
Cats wet food – 10x6 tins of Classic from Asda £27.00
Cats worming drontal - around 1.5 per tablet, 4 tablets £6 every 3 months so £1.50 per month
Cats flea treatment - Advantage, £9.50 per month

So cats total = £136.60

All pets total: £337 per month

Would love to bring it down but not possible as Zara's insurance will shoot through the roof at reneval and dry food is not in the budget as got a lot but will finish at some point so will need to ad it.....

So I have a feeling that October onwards (insurance reneval) will be climbing up back towards the original £500....

rising_from_the_ashes

So ..... I've bitten the bullet and moved the cats' insurance today - decided if I was going to do it, it had to be now (before big cat's birthday or the premium would be higher ).

Previous policy (PP):

• Cover: £4k
• Excess: £75
• Cost: £19.85 / month

New policy (Axa):

• Cover: £7k
• Excess: £50
• Cost: £12.68 *

Not a huge saving each month (around £7) but happier with the higher cover level and lower excess - and if you think that the saving will cover both their boosters each year .....

* For comparison purposes, I could've got it a bit lower by choosing a higher excess - it would've been £11.34 with a £75 excess or around £8 / month saving.

rising_from_the_ashes

Really need to sit down and do a new full breakdown like GR's - dog costs especially seem to be spiraling out of control atm (down to quite a few vet trips unfortunately and the dog walker).

Hoping we've now got something that settles her tum but will need to find an alternative as at £50ish a bag it's on the high side (will be trying the Skinners Salmon & Rice next).

Anyway, just got flea/tick stuff for them (must admit I don't do this hugely often & thankfully never had a flea problem but big cat is being a master mice catcher atm:eek: and conscious that he could easily get them - and worse_pale_) so want to do them before there's a problem. Also picked quite a few ticks _pale_ off Maisie recently as we're starting to get out & about in the woods more.

Have gone for a different brand as have heard that Front*line doesn't seem to be working as well for fleas and know it certainly stopped working for ticks when I had Ben.

Limited to what I can use as a lot of the dog products are unfortunately toxic to cats:( so:

Effipro for cats - 4 pipettes @ £8.70 (£2.17 / dose)
Effipro for dogs - 4 pipettes @ £13.25 (£3.31 / dose)

Dunroamin

I must be a wicked person as I have two rescue dogs (combined weight of 100kg) and 6 rescue cats and they cost me £100 pcm in total for food, with another £60 per month for vets fees, flea treatment and vaccinations.

gettingready

You are not a wicked person - you just have different circumstances ie do not need dog walker or do not pay insurance etc etc.

Everyone is different, everyone's circumstances/costs are different.

2 tiney dogs will always cost more than 2 large dogs, non working person does not need a dog walker etc etc etc

threemuttleys

Dogs

Skinners (or Harringtons) Dry £20 (Amazon)
12 x green tripe blocks £10
Evening Primrose £2
Garlic powder £2

Cats

4 x Boxes dry Tesco £4
12 x lamb blocks £10

Worming I do as and when, ditto fleas.

£48

Then £50 PCM into their savings account ( I dont have insurance for any of them. I have a credit card and good savings just for them)