What's your Animal budget?

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-01-2008
What's your Animal budget?
5
Mon, 12-22-2008 - 4:58pm

I'll be honest, I'm the brunette version of Ellie Mae Clampett.

Norma


"Patience is the best remedy for every trouble"- Plautus


Avatar for mahopac
iVillage Member
Registered: 07-24-1997
Mon, 12-22-2008 - 5:04pm

I have to admit that I'm not much of an animal person. I'd never have imagined I'd say that when I was a teenager - I used to volunteer every Sunday morning at a cat shelter and trotted around my neighborhood with petitions against vivisection and animal experiments - but over the years as my responsibilities to humans (i.e. my kids) have increased, my interest in animals and plants has decreased.

We most recently had guinea pigs, and they ate fresh veggies and guinea pig food and had to have their cage changed twice a week. I took them to the vet about once a year. I suppose they cost about $25 a month plus the annual vet visit. Not all that much - but I wasn't sorry to have that money when the last one died last spring. (Not to mention a much cleaner house - I swear, they must have had poo-throwing contests, LOL!)

Now, I would like to have a cat, but I'm wildly allergic, so that's a no-go. I won't take allergy pills just to have a cat in the house.

Kelly

iVillage Member
Registered: 07-02-2008
Mon, 12-22-2008 - 5:06pm

We had a fish who used to attempt suicide daily. (ie. jump out of the bowl.) Damn guy kept living even after I would pick him up and put him back in the water. Finally died of natural causes.


Anyway, I vowed no more pets. Welp, my BIL (irresponsible guy) "got" a dog from a coworker. Puppy. Yorkie-poo. Small dog who doesn't shed. This is the kind of dog I WOULD like one day. After two weeks my BIL wasn't taking care of the dog so we took him. Name is Jones. Our only expense for him is dog food and grooming every few months.


My sister is a vet so she gave us his shots and fixed him for us for free. Honestly, if I didn't have her knowing she would give us free vet care I wouldn't have taken the dog. Right now we need to focus on our bills and we can't have the expense of a dog on our shoulders. Knowing we have free vet care we are ok.


Course, the dog is a stubborn nut. He's about 8 months now and peed on my coffee table the other day. GRRR. I keep trying to remember this is his first winter so he isn't used to the cold outdoors. Either way, peeing on my coffee table needs to end.

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-24-2007
Mon, 12-22-2008 - 5:44pm

Hi Norma:


I agree with you.

Kate


empty purse

Avatar for sohappilyme
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Mon, 12-22-2008 - 6:01pm
We have a horse, a dog, a rabbit (technically two, but we pimped our male out to the neighbor, LOL) a pet rooster, and two ducks. Our animal budget is $100/mo which covers feed and routine vet care.

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Goal #1:

Sarah
iVillage Member
Registered: 10-01-2008
Tue, 12-23-2008 - 1:10pm

Oh boy!

Norma


"Patience is the best remedy for every trouble"- Plautus