Pet ownership is down

[Joan.of.the.Arch]

Pet ownership declines, but more households loyal to dogs

Dog and cat ownership is down in the US for the first time since 1991. Part of the reason, not surprisingly, is the economy.

[bjl584]

I have a dog. And a couple of fish if you want to count them.

[Emerald]

I have the most expensive dog on earth. Good thing he's cute.

[elessar78]

People seem shocked when we tell them we don't want to own pets or are pet people. It's not about money for us, more of an issue of time. We have lots of activities and we don't have the time to really take care of a pet. We both had pets growing up but it's really different than pet ownership now. My wife grew up on a farm and the dogs are real outdoor dogs. They fend for themselves, that kind of thing. I didn't grow up in this country and animals are treated differently, not wrongly, they are more animals than children.

[humandraydel]

It's unfortunate because there always seems to be more pets in the shelters than people interested. I actually got a 2nd dog (from a shelter) about 1 year ago. I absolutely love my dogs, and think they are worth every penny and every minute of time. They definitely reduce my stress level and make me happier. There are a LOT of things I would cut from my budget before giving up my pet!

[marvholly]

Not terribly surprising w/the economy in the tank.

I have a cat & 10 years ago I could buy a 6 oz can of wet food for 0.25 each, less if I had a coupon. Today the SAME can is 5-5.5 oz,costs 0.50 and the value of the coupon is down by 50-75%.

Don't even ask about dry kibble-was 2.99 or less for a 3.5 lb bag. Now I am happy if I can find a 3-3.15 lb bag for 3.99 and again the coupon values are WAAAY down.

It is only going to get worse w/the BAD grain harvets this year. Not only for animal feed but also for EVERTHING that is human feed. I only hope it is the 3-5% predicted and not the 10-15% I suspect will happen.

[Joan.of.the.Arch]

Marvholly, I have seriously been wondering whether some people are choosing to let their cats fend for themselves, foodwise. I'm seeing so many cats outside around sundown! Are they out mousing? They look well fed, though.

[laurend1985]

My neighbors don't take really good care of their dog but not enough to call the humane society. Anyway, people see we love Missy and they tell me all the time, you need to get a dog. They cost too much, especially if they get sick. My clients tell me how much their vet bills are.

[MonkeyMama]

People seem shocked when we tell them we don't want to own pets or are pet people. It's not about money for us, more of an issue of time. We have lots of activities and we don't have the time to really take care of a pet.

I feel totally the same. We always had pets growing up and I got a pet the second I owned my first place, just about. I've been thinking I am *over* the responsibility and would like to petless when my older cat passes on. I was extremely surprised when my spouse agreed he did not want another pet. IT really isn't about the money, but there is definitely an element that I'd rather put that money elsewhere. I think it is more about the commitment, responsibility and time. I can maybe see the appeal when the kids are grown or if I lived alone. Regardless, pets were more fun when the adults in the house were taking care of all the hard stuff (vet bills and vacation arrangements).

[9symphony9]

I like cats more. Money saving tips on owning a pet is important if you are going to adopt one.

[MiikeB]

I love dogs and cannot imagine living my life without at least a few in the house but I can definitely understand where it is not for everyone. They are expensive and time consuming.

It is worth it for me because it has become my hobby. Some people enjoy bike riding, swimming, video games etc. For me, its dogs. I wake up excited to take my dogs out to play, come home excited to see them, I love training with them, competing with them, I take in Rescues as fosters and spend weekends transporting rescue dogs to foster homes or adopters.

I don't think I could do a middle ground though where I just have a dog and he is just around.

[marvholly]

Marvholly, I have seriously been wondering whether some people are choosing to let their cats fend for themselves, foodwise. I'm seeing so many cats outside around sundown! Are they out mousing? They look well fed, though.

I am not seeing any increase in loose animals around me. Animal Control may have a different take on that.

My cat goes NUTSO when another animal comes near our windows & I have 2 broken screens to prove it. I do have a neighbor that lets their cat run free at least during the day & my guy goes NUTS.

[Max G]

I would love to have a pet, especially a cat. However, I live alone and I travel overnight for work 4 days a week. Taking care of a pet can still be done, but it would be a pretty expensive proposition. So I'm not surprised that money is an overriding factor for many people, just like myself.

[LivingAlmostLarge]

Of course it is, pets are so expensive. Hence why animal shelters are full to the brim with people turning in pets as they are foreclosed or evicted.

Personally I've had two dogs as an adult and many more growing up. We spent 5 figures (yes over $10k) on chemotherapy and treatment for our old dog before he died. I assume that we may spend that much on the remaining dog.

My DH this year wanted another dog, but I put my foot down and said no. I can't deal with pets right now in the midst of having kids. They aren't just expensive, but they take a lot of time. Walking the dog 2-3x/day. Bathing, nail trimming, grooming, feeding, medicating, just everything. Things we had more time to do before kids. Perhaps when we are done having babies and the kids can participate more we'll likely have more dogs, but right now I can't imagine it.

[tinktink]

Don't stone me for this post but for some reason , maybe because of where I grew up, I always though pets were a phase.