My hamster costs me 10 bucks a month after initial set up. If you absolutely need a pet for your mental well being, get one you can afford. Cats and dogs are amazing but not the only options!
I'm a vet. Just please, whether you're rich or poor, if you have a pet, take care of it and as much as you can budget for care. Don't forgo a 20.00 parvovirus vaccine and let your puppy get parvo. It's so awful and so expensive. We see a lot of "poor" people buying expensive dogs (like 1500 dogs) and not being able to afford to vaccinate them. Just before you get a pet think about how much you will need for preventive care and have some kind of plan for if they get sick. Lots of vets can help you decide how to at least get the most crucial things if you can't do everything.
I have also seen (many times) rich people who refuse care because they just don't want to pay for it. I remember this one very wealthy family of four (long story, but Land Rover, all had cell phones back when almost nobody had cell phones, private school shirts on, etc), refusing treatment for their golden retriever because they didn't want to pay for it. (Many people are usually up front about saying this: "I'm not going to spend all that money. It's just a dog.") That dog looking at them in that golden-retriever "I would take a bullet for you" way. I'll never forget how that dog was looking at them like "This is my family. They will take care of me."
conairthehairdryer on April 13rd, 2021 at 01:44 UTC »
My hamster costs me 10 bucks a month after initial set up. If you absolutely need a pet for your mental well being, get one you can afford. Cats and dogs are amazing but not the only options!
YouWantALime on April 13rd, 2021 at 02:29 UTC »
You can definitely afford a pet rock. They don't eat much.
cloud_watcher on April 13rd, 2021 at 03:05 UTC »
I'm a vet. Just please, whether you're rich or poor, if you have a pet, take care of it and as much as you can budget for care. Don't forgo a 20.00 parvovirus vaccine and let your puppy get parvo. It's so awful and so expensive. We see a lot of "poor" people buying expensive dogs (like 1500 dogs) and not being able to afford to vaccinate them. Just before you get a pet think about how much you will need for preventive care and have some kind of plan for if they get sick. Lots of vets can help you decide how to at least get the most crucial things if you can't do everything.
I have also seen (many times) rich people who refuse care because they just don't want to pay for it. I remember this one very wealthy family of four (long story, but Land Rover, all had cell phones back when almost nobody had cell phones, private school shirts on, etc), refusing treatment for their golden retriever because they didn't want to pay for it. (Many people are usually up front about saying this: "I'm not going to spend all that money. It's just a dog.") That dog looking at them in that golden-retriever "I would take a bullet for you" way. I'll never forget how that dog was looking at them like "This is my family. They will take care of me."