Poor Richard’s Almanac

Silence Dogood here. It’s Monday, and that means it’s time for another Frugal Living Tip here at Poor Richard’s Almanac. When times are tight, we’re not the only ones who suffer. Those other beloved family members, our pets, are often the first to feel the budget crunch.

I was saddened but not surprised to see a tiny feature, buried in our local paper, anouncing that a no-kill pet shelter in Delaware had decided to open a pet food bank for families who were struggling to feed their pets during these tough economic times. Historically, in opulent times—Imperial Rome, Cavalier England, Victorian Britain, modern America—people lavished affection and attention on their pets. Then, when times got tough, they abandoned or even ate them.

Plus ca change, plus c’est la meme chose. “The recession has brought a fourfold increase in the number of pets being given for adoption. Cash-strapped families can’t take care of their pets while trying to take care of themselves,” the article noted, adding that the foreclosure crisis had made the problem even worse.

Well, we all know what “given for adoption” usually means for a pet: the end, after being abandoned by those he or she trusted and loved, possibly for many years. But on the flip side, the cost of pet care really is astronomical. We ought to know, owning a dog, cats, a parrot, parakeets, and fish as we do. And God help you if your pet becomes ill, especially with a lingering, expensive illness like our beloved golden retriever, Molly. You’re going to be kissing thousands of dollars goodbye, at a time when a single dinner out may be a luxury you can’t afford. What’s a pet owner to do?

Here are a few suggestions that may help lighten the financial load:

* Switch to dry food. Yes, quality dry food is costly, but compared to canned or bagged “moist” pet foods, it’s a bargain. And guess what? A good dry food is better for your dog or cat. It will help you manage their weight and keep their teeth clean.

* Buy reusable litter. Granular “clumping” litters like Everclean may cost more than other brands, but you’ll save money in the long run and never, ever have odor problems. That’s because, rather than dumping an entire pan of wet, stinky cat litter out, you simply remove the “clumps” once a day, leaving the rest of the litter in the box to continue doing its job, and adding more litter as needed when the level in the box drops below an inch and a half. Skip the scented litters, which cats hate, and the plastic liners, which can easily be punctured and trap urine underneath. Phew! Just get a big, airy litterbox and make sure you clean it every day.

* Cut back on grooming. We’re so obsessed with grooming ourselves we often think it’s essential to endlessly groom our pets, too. Instead, make an effort to learn what your pet’s breed really needs in terms of grooming, and then see how much of that you can learn to do at home. We were surprised but pleased to learn that both our Molly, a golden retriever, and our current puppy Shiloh, a German shepherd, should be bathed only when needed, perhaps just twice a year. (None of our cats have ever required bathing or grooming.) It was easy to ask our boarding facility to add a bath to Molly’s agenda when we went on vacation, and baths were free if a pet boarded for seven days. We get free nail trims and ear cleanings every time our dogs go to the vet. But learning to brush, comb, wash, and trim your pet isn’t that challenging, and ditto for nail clipping, tooth brushing, and ear cleaning. Not only will doing this sort of maintenance on a daily or weekly basis save you money, but it will also go a long way to prevent future and potentially costly health problems.

* Pony up for preventives. We agree, the price of heartworm and flea and tick preventives seems unbelievably high. Talk about a bite in the budget! But you don’t know what expense is unless your house has become infested with fleas and you’ve had to battle to get them out, save your pets, and etc. (Not to mention the ultimate cost to your family’s health from the sprays.) And if, God forbid, your pet gets heartworms, you’ll be fighting an expensive and often losing battle for your precious pet’s life. Better to pay upfront for the monthly doses of preventives and avoid fleas—which can lead to anemia and actually kill a cat, as well as making your pets miserable—ticks, which can cause Lyme disease, and heartworms. This is money well spent.

* Shop for spay/neuter. Obviously, you still need to get your pup or cat spayed or neutered, but your regular vet may charge a fortune for this service (though considerably less for neutering, which is non-invasive, than for spaying, which is major abdominal surgery). Many shelters offer low-cost spay/neuter programs, and some veterinary hospitals do, too. It’s worth talking to your vet and asking for recommendations first, explaining your financial circumstances. He or she might be able to recommend a low-cost program.

* Do a treat retreat. If you’re constantly showering your pet with treats and toys that he shreds or consumes within seconds, you’re spending a ton of money for a very low return (and possible pet obesity). Instead, invest in durable treats and toys—real, sterilized bones, heavy rope or rope-and-bone toys, durable rubber and nylon bones and toys. Treat your dog to healthy “people food” when you’re cooking—a small piece of cheese, pieces of fruit or veggies that you’re cutting up for dinner, a spoonful of rice and/or plain yogurt, a piece of hardboiled egg or a small potato (cooled, please!). Dogs love them and they’re good for them, at a tiny fraction of the cost of manufactured treats. This goes for cats, too—a little yogurt, milk, cheese, pumpkin bread, even popcorn is a huge treat. And parrots love anything you love, from raw veggies to pizza and pie crusts! Finally, remember that you’re the best toy or treat of all. Taking your dog for a walk or a vigorous Frisbee toss, giving your cat some quality petting time, enjoying a movie or CD with your parrot: Additional cost zero, benefit incalculable. Pets all need stimulation, so don’t skimp in this department. Just be a very smart shopper and consider alternatives to disposable junk.

I don’t consider our pets to be disposable. They are valued members of our household, and when we got them, we committed ourselves to their care for as long as we both should live. To us, that’s as sacred a vow as any there is on earth, since pets in their innocence give their love and trust to us completely, assuming like children that we would never do them harm. At the same time, we need to apply the same financial constraints to our relationships with our pets that we do in all other aspects of our lives. Ludicrous and pointless (from our pets’ perspectives, at any rate) indulgences are stupid and may be ruinous. Our pets are what they are, dogs or cats or birds or bunnies to be loved, not children to be spoiled. Let’s keep our excesses in check so we can keep our beloved pets healthy, happy, and at home.

          ‘Til next time,

                         Silence