Pets are usually much-loved members of the family, but the cost of caring for our furry friends has rocketed in recent years.
From rising pet food prices to soaring vet bills, many owners may be struggling to meet steeper costs, especially when so many other household expenses have increased sharply in recent months.
Recent research by Sainsbury’s Bank found that more than a quarter of pet owners (26%) are worried about the cost of owning a pet due to the rising cost of living. Dog owners are now spending an average of nearly £1,500 a year on day care alone. Other expenses dog owners face include food at an average cost of £508 over a year, and grooming at £609, meaning owning a dog could cost owners as much as £3,829 a year and a massive £42,885 over its lifetime.
Fortunately, there are a number of ways to cut the cost of pet ownership, from buying food in bulk to finding free doggy daycare.
Contents
- Consider the cost BEFORE you get a pet
- Covering vet bills
- Shop around for pet insurance
- Buy pet food in bulk
- Compare pet food prices and get discounts
- Buy supermarket own brand pet food
- Sign up to pet-sitting websites
- Ask your local community to help with pet care
- Try second hand marketplaces for pet supplies
- Ask about vet payment plans
- Keep annual vaccinations up to date
- Buy cheaper medication online
- Make your own pet toys
- Get your pet neutered
- See if you can get help with costs
1. Consider the cost BEFORE you get a pet
If you’re thinking about buying a pet, do your research to see if you can afford the cost before going ahead. After all, some pedigree dog and cat breeds are prone to certain diseases, and you’re therefore more likely to run up future vet bills. Of course, buying a pedigree pet is usually a hefty upfront cost too. If you’re in the process of choosing a breed, you may want to pick one that’ll cost less upfront, and to care for long term. Given their mixed breeding, for example, mongrels are known to be less likely to come with inherited diseases than pedigree pups.
Factor in the cost of insurance too if you want it, and food if they’re likely to need a particular diet. Some popular breeds such as British Shorthair cats, for example, are more prone to sensitive stomachs which means they might need more expensive high quality cat food.
2. Covering vet bills
Pet insurance covers the cost of vet bills if your pet needs medical treatment, and failing to buy a policy can leave you with potentially eye-watering bills if your pet has an accident or develops a health condition.
If, for example, a dog needs a hip replacement, vet fees could amount to as much as £9,000, according to classified website Pets4Homes. Even if your cat gets into a fight and suffers an open wound that needs stitching, the vet could charge hundreds of pounds. Unfortunately there’s no NHS for pets, so if you don’t have cover, you’ll have to meet treatment costs from your savings, or see your pet suffer, which no loving owner wants to do.
There are several different types of pet cover available. Lifetime cover is the most comprehensive type of policy. It covers most vet bills up to an annual limit for a particular illness or injury, with the amount being reset each year. There are also limited-time policies which cover most vet bills, but there are limits to the amount you can claim per condition. Find out more in our article Everything you need to know about pet insurance.
3. Shop around for pet insurance
Whichever type of pet you have, when buying insurance, try to get several different quotes as costs can vary widely from provider to provider, and make sure you check cover limits and exclusions carefully. Consider if your pet had an ongoing condition that needed a lifetime of treatment, for example, and whether your pet insurance policy would cover the cost in this scenario. It may be worth paying slightly more for a policy that gives you peace of mind. As most pet insurance policies are taken out to cover dogs and cats, this guide focuses predominantly on these. You can compare pet insurance quotes from over 15 different providers using this pet insurance comparison tool.
4. Buy pet food in bulk
You can often reduce the cost of pet food by buying in bulk. A 12kg bag of Tesco adult chicken and vegetable adult dog food, for example, costs £12.25, or around £1 per kg. However, if you buy a 3kg bag you’ll pay £4.10, or £1.36 per kg. You’ll pay more upfront when you bulk buy, but make significant savings over time provided you have room to store large bags of food.
Whatever your pet’s preferred food, shop around for the best deal when you bulk buy. It’s usually cheapest to buy pet food online at websites such as Zooplus, Pet Supermarket and Pet Planet. Bear in mind that dry cat and dog food is usually cheaper than wet food, and often easier to buy in bulk.
5. Compare pet food prices and get discounts
Price comparison sites such as PetMoneySaver and Trolley.co.uk let you search for particular pet food and see where it’s cheapest to buy it online. For example, at the time of writing PetMoneySaver showed you can find Applaws large breed dry adult dog food 7.5kg for about £30 on Monster Pet Supplies, compared to £35.99 on Amazon.
Keep an eye out for any discounts when you checkout too. You can download a browser add-on such as Honey that’ll automatically search for coupon codes at online retailers and apply these at the online checkout.
6. Buy supermarket own brand pet food
We want the best for our pets and this sometimes means we buy expensive food on the assumption that this is better for them. But there may be a cheaper option that’s just as good available from your local supermarket.
Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Aldi and Lidl all sell their own pet food at significantly lower prices than well-known brands. For example, a 2kg bag of Vitacat complete tuna and salmon adult cat food from Aldi costs £2.49 compared to £5.99 for a 2kg bag of Pets at Home’s own brand dry chicken cat food. According to pet nutrition experts, there’s often little to distinguish supermarket pet food from more expensive brands, but of course you can check by comparing the ingredients list yourself.
7. Sign up to pet-sitting websites
Covering the cost of pet care while you’re away or at work can be eye-wateringly expensive. Doggy day care costs around £30, or more in London, and simply getting a cat sitter to pop in and feed your cat typically costs around £15 per visit.
If neighbours, family or friends can’t help out with pet care, you could try a pet-sitting service. For example, BorrowMyDoggy puts dog owners in touch with local animal lovers who may be willing to look after their dog. Owners pay £44.99 per year for the service, which includes messaging services, insurance and a 24-hour vet helpline, whilst animal lovers pay £12.99 a year.
If you’re going on holiday, TrustedHousesitters can be an ideal solution. You pay an annual fee of £149 to find animal lovers who are willing to take care of your pets in return for a free place to stay. You can read reviews and speak to them first to make sure you’re happy they’re the right person to care for your pet.
8. Ask your local community to help with pet care
You may find that if you reach out to your local community, you can find people who are willing to help take care of your pet, if you’re willing to do the same for them on occasion. Plenty of pet owners use Nextdoor and Facebook groups to search for local animal lovers, or even their street’s Whatsapp group. You’ll probably want to introduce your pet to anyone new and make sure everyone is happy with the set up before leaving them in charge though.
There may also be local dog sitting community groups in your area. Alternatively, there might be people working from home who are looking for a change of scene and who would be happy to work in your home and care for your pet occasionally. Do exercise caution though, and if you don’t know them it’s a good idea to ask for references if possible.
9. Try second hand marketplaces for pet supplies
You can try using online marketplaces such as Facebook Marketplace, Ebay and Gumtree to find free or cheap second hand pet supplies. You may even find items such as dog crates and cat trees which are expensive to buy going for free. If there’s anything in particular you need, you could also try asking if anyone has one going spare on local Facebook, Nextdoor and community groups.
10. Ask about vet payment plans
If you don’t want or can’t afford to take out pet insurance, your vet may offer a vet payment plan to help spread the cost of expensive treatment over time, and cover regular treatments. You pay a certain amount each week or month to cover the cost of annual vaccinations, alongside other treatments. Depending on what’s included in the plan, they can be good value for money at around £10 per month. These plans usually cover things such as worming and flea treatments, and you’ll receive reminders when these are due.
11. Keep annual vaccinations up to date
To safeguard against your chances of being hit with future vet bills, make sure your pet’s vaccinations are up to date. This will cost you a certain amount each year at their annual check up, you could pay a lot more in the long run if they fall ill. Beware that some insurance policies won’t pay out if an illness could have been prevented by a vaccination that wasn’t given.
12. Buy cheaper medication online
Buying medication from the vet is usually the most expensive option. Instead, you can buy pet medication online at various websites for around half the price you’d pay at the vet. Check Petdrugsonline.co.uk and Petremedies.co.uk, and you can usually get a discount by signing up to receive newsletters too. It’s also worth trying Amazon as some treatments such as Frontline for cats can be bought cheaply there.
13. Make your own pet toys
You can spend a small fortune on keeping your pet entertained with various expensive toys, which are often destroyed in just a few days. But in reality, a cat will be just as happy with a cardboard box or scrunched up piece of tin foil, so you’re probably wasting your money. Search online for creative suggestions for toys and how to make these at home, if you want to give your pet a special present. There are some suggestions for DIY dog toys here and cat toys here.
14. Get your pet neutered
Make sure you don’t end up with a surprise litter by getting your pet spayed or neutered to prevent pregnancy. You may be able to get help towards the cost of this through Cats Protection if you’re a full-time student or on certain benefits. The Blue Cross also offers money towards the cost of neutering in some cases.
15. See if you can get help with costs
If you’re a pet owner and struggling to afford the cost of vet bills, you may be able to get some help through the charity Pet Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA). Their prices are typically 20% to 30% lower than private veterinary practices for those who live in certain areas who are on a low income and in receipt of certain benefits. There are dozens of PDSA hospitals in the UK, and you can find out if you’re entitled to use their services here.
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