Interest in getting a pet has increased by 123% during the pandemic, according to Google statistics. Now the analysis team at Picodi.com has checked roughly how much it costs first-time pet owners to get a new furry friend.
Some things are essential for every dog, such as a collar, harness, lead, ID tag, bed, brush and two bowls (one for water and one for food). The cost of that ‘starter kit’ amounts to around £146. Plus, buying a special safety harness and belt for the car, designer clothes for rain protection, as well as a muzzle, LED collar, and the carrier cost an additional £152.
The recurring expenses to be expected when keeping a dog have been divided into six categories: food, care and beauty, toys, veterinary care, licence and additional services.
The cost of providing a proper diet range from £660 (for small dogs) and £1,990 (for bigger breeds), Picodi estimates. However, if a dog owner decides to buy premium food, such as means wet, grainless food without chicken, the cost of such a diet may increase to £1,555 for small dogs and as much as £5,480 for large dogs.
The care & beauty category includes cyclic deworming, protection from ticks and fleas, shampoo and a year’s supply of poop bags – altogether £71. There are also groomer costs in the expanded kit, including grooming, trimming and wash and blow-dry. Assuming that we use these services once every two months, you would spend an additional £560 a year.
BASIC KIT
Extra services such as pet sitter, dog boarding and health insurance total about £803.
The price of a basic kit, which includes only necessary products and services for a dog, ranges from £904 in case of the small dogs to £2,234 in case of large ones. For the expanded kit, dog owners would have to pay up to three times more (£3,451 for small breeds and £7,376 for large dogs).
The price of a cat’s basic starter kit amounts to £95, including a litter box, scoop, scratching post, bed, brush, three bowls, nail trimmer and a carrier. The expanded kit (£202) also includes a leash and harness, clothes, a big scratching post with hideouts and an automatic feeder.
Annual cat food would cost its owner around £345, Picodi says. In the case of premium grainless food, this cost may increase up to £475.
To summarise, the annual cost of keeping a cat is around £1,146. If the cat owners decide to buy products and services from the expanded kit, they would have to pay an additional £1,902.
