Stop Buying Crap #16 – Pets (also, win a free book!)
Posted by Cap in Stop Buying Crap! |Stop Buying Crap #9 | #10 | #11 | #12 | #13 | #14 | #15 | #16 | #17 | #18 | #19
Annoying Little Dogs That Cost More Than Your Mortgage Payment
A reader’s email:
I thought of another crap shoot that so many people have bought into. Small, expensive, annoying dogs! What is the point of buying a $500 (or more) dog that doesn’t do anything but sit in your Louis Vuitton bag?? Thought you may be able to use your gift to shed some light on the subject. Thanks!
Done and done.
Nothing beats fulfilling the request of one reader at the risk of alienating the rest of my readers. My fellow pet hater, Free Money Finance should enjoy this post (hah just kidding, FMF doesn’t hate pets).
To be honest, I have no real quarrels with pets — the problem I have are with potential pet owners who purchase a pet for wrong reasons. They can be buying it as a little-thought gift for a lover, child, etc.; or they may have bought it because of some short-term need for companionship. There are many more wrong reasons, but I will spare you with them as thinking about them makes my blood boil.
There are a few things many people should think about before they acquire a pet. They should realize that pets are living beings, with certain specific needs and wants. Pets are not your expensive iPods, or your brand new Porsche that can be traded-in, thrown away, or upgraded when they no longer interest you (or your child).
The cost of ownership of a pet can be surprisingly high in the long term, especially if you don’t prioritize your spending. Ever have a cousin, sister, brother, or mother-in-law that spends more on their pet than their monthly car payment?
Finally, pet ownership requires real commitment and responsibility. This is a purchase that needs to be considered carefully, both in the financial and moral aspect. If your pet becomes ill, how much are you willing to spend to save its life? What happens if you neglect to spay your cat, and suddenly find yourself with a litters of kittens?
Pets are hardly crap, but if you’re buying them as a spur of the moment “please forgive me and come back to me” gift to your ex-girlfriend, please tell me where you live so I can go kick your ass (or if you’re bigger than me, lecture you from afar).
Uh, Free Book!
Win a free copy of the New York Times Bestseller Marley & Me! Why? Because it’s entirely appropriate to give away a book on the joy of pet ownership in a blog post that tells you not to buy pets.
All you have to do is leave a comment on why pet ownership was worth the financial cost to you. If you’ve never owned a pet you can also try lying — although you should know how Santa feels about that.
Winner will be chosen randomly. Limit one entry per person and household address. Be sure to include an email address while leaving a comment. Ends 7/29/06.
Related Link:
- Pets & Finances – Post dealing with pets & finances, from Free Money Finance
25 Comments to “Stop Buying Crap #16 – Pets (also, win a free book!)”
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September 14th, 2006 at 6:23 am
I’m definitely a dog lover, but I also largely agree with you about pet ownership. Pets are living creatures, not fashion accessories; owning one entails about as much commitment and responsibility as raising a child. Though I’ve been pining for a pooch for a decade now, I know that there’s no way I could care for one responsibly right now.
Another thing to consider with dogs is that the more you pay, the more likely it is to have health problems. Pure bred dogs today are like the Romanovs – countless generations of inbreeding have taken a major toll on their health. If you really do want a pet, and can afford both the time and money to care for one properly, you’re better off adopting a mutt. They’re smarter, healthier, and every bit as cute and loyal.
Sadly, no free book for me.
September 14th, 2006 at 6:36 am
Uh, if you don’t buy the dog, then what good is the Louis Vuitton bag?
Duh.
September 14th, 2006 at 7:48 am
Why is pet ownership worth the financial cost? I had never really thought of it that way. I have 2 Sheltland Sheepdogs (aka Shelties). I have no sheep to herd. They are territorial enough to be watchdogs, but not protectors if necessary. All that to say that they are pets, not working dogs.
The financial cost is more than food and vet visits, too. Carpet cleaning, dirt to fill holes in the yard, grooming (in a case like mine where the animal has lots of hair), dog toys, and the list goes on and on.
So how do I justify this? Well, I enjoy training them (no contests or anything like that), my wife and I have to get up off the couch and walk them (exercise for us too!), and, most importantly, they lift my spirits.
Come home from a bad day and they don’t care that the client was being a butt, they just wag their tails, give me “hugs”, and want to play. And if I don’t go play with them, they nose under my hand until I acknowledge them and go throw the ball.
I guess that’s a long way to say they help me let go of the work day and enjoy home. (Even if they just dug up the begonias…)
September 14th, 2006 at 8:13 am
I have an adopted, rescued Jack Russel. It was worth all the financial hardship because Tika constantly reminds me that love is unconditional and happiness is found within, and not on a pile of cash.
Tika shows me that happiness can come from something as simple as obsessively running after a plastic ball. I am constantly mesmerized at how such a simple toy can bring such great joy which is similar to watching a toddler have a blast making mud pies in the yard.
Having this extremely expensive animal, which by the way has Cushing cancer at the age of 10, lowers my stress, while being a constant reminder of how happiness is really right at your feet, and not in your bank account.
September 14th, 2006 at 8:51 am
See also this post by economist Tyler Cowen, What is the consumer surplus from pets?
September 14th, 2006 at 11:39 am
You’re a pet hater alright! ;-)
September 14th, 2006 at 5:10 pm
Cats would kill us if they could!!!!!
September 14th, 2006 at 7:32 pm
i help out the folks at their beauty supply every weekend. someone once came in and asked for a hair bleaching kit to bleach the hairs under her dog’s eyes. apparently, the dog’s tears were discoloring the hair under its eyes – a no-no for a white show dog. i wanted to rip her eyes out and pour bleach into them.
September 15th, 2006 at 12:46 am
i think only wealthy family (Really wealthy) spent that much amount of $$ on their pet. Well, if they didn’t spent any $$, then it will not fun being rich.
My aunt she has a cat (free), and doesn’t spend much $$ on her pet, i guess probably $20 each months on foods & toys for it. Its a good thing to keep her entertaining and to keep her at home away from casino.
September 15th, 2006 at 6:06 am
I rent and i’m not supposed to have pets in my lease agreement, and my landlord recently found out that i have a cat (nevermind the fact that i’ve lived there for 2 years and he’s been in my apt. for inspections and never said anything).
after meeting with him we agreed that i will pay an extra $45 a month to keep her. two days later i get a letter and a bill for $450.
apparently the bill is for the 8 months he didn’t know i had a cat in the apt.
what an ass.
ps: i didn’t buy my cat, she was a stray when i found her.
September 15th, 2006 at 6:14 pm
I have a rabbit. I didn’t meant to get one; I like dogs, not useless small furry things that show no affection and exist only to poop and chew my electric cords in half.
My fiance (hereafter known as Stud Muffin) and I had seen Buster hopping around the resort that we work at for several weeks. He was obviously a domesticated rabbit, so one afternoon we got bored and decided to try to catch him. We were quite surprised when we actually did it. The normally hard-hearted Stud Muffin melted and began cuddling and cooing at Buster.
We spent three days trying to find a new home for Buster and then gave up and decided to keep him. During the summer, Buster costs us 18 dollars a month, all for his litter. In the winter, it will probably be about twice that since we will have to buy food for him instead of letting him eat wild things. When we move out of our apartment, we will have to pay to steam clean the carpet and flea bomb the house, at our landlord’s insistance.
Buster is mostly a pain in my ass. His pee stinks like nothing you’ve ever smelled before, he’s very picky about what he eats, and he’s bitten about 12 different electric, phone, tv, and video game cords in half. He won’t come near me unless I’m eating fruit, in which case he’ll claw his way into my lap and try to snatch it out of my mouth. He bites my ankles if I’m standing where he wants to walk.
However: I get a light, happy, feeling whenever I see Stud Muffin hold Buster. Stud is normally not a sentimental or even friendly guy. His last pet was a Rottweiler. He hunts, smokes cigars, likes beer with his breakfast, and considers all hippies dirty until proven otherwise. But when he holds Buster, his voice goes up about an octive. He smiles, he tolorates the occasional scratch when Buster tries to get down, and he actually kisses him on the head. It amuses him when Buster tears around the house like crazy, leaping into the air and diving under chairs.
Buster doesn’t give much affection, compared to a cat or a dog. He requires more work than a fish or a gerbil. He costs more than a pet rock. The thing I get from Buster is his ability to make Stud come out of his shell. Rabbits hardly ever make a sound, but Buster can make my fiance laugh, a sound that is also rarely heard.
Kai0, kudos for adopting a stray. Hard to believe someone would abandon a dog as cool as a jack russel. Maybe they didn’t realize how energetic they are.
September 16th, 2006 at 9:37 am
Owning a pet is much MUCH cheaper than having kids!
September 16th, 2006 at 4:57 pm
I also adopted rescue pets. My two cats are my children. As I am single, and probably will be so for a very long time, I enjoy having the companionship they offer.
For your finance blog: Single folks die much earlier than married folks. So no matter how much 401k I build up, staying single may keep me away from every enjoying it.
Think about that.
So my quality of life has been enhanced by my two cats, who, do affect me financially, but are worth every dime, — If you advocate putting money into a 401k, then you should also be advocating single people to be pet owners – in the event that they have thought about it for at least a year, planned for it, and realize they are your children. And like the post above, MUCH MUCH cheaper than real live children. (I pay zero for childcare, and I don’t get in trouble with the law for leaving them home alone).
September 16th, 2006 at 7:22 pm
really great comment guys. thanks for sharing. I changed the book winner selection to random since choosing a “best response” from these great comments will be rather unfair.
September 16th, 2006 at 7:35 pm
Hmm. This is an interesting subject to me. I, for one, can’t stand these people putting bows, ribbons, dye, human clothing on any animal. And yes I’ve actually seen someone dye their dog’s hair. These people (and you know who you are) should not be able to own pets.
I’m sorry to say, but I see a lot of you speaking about pets fulfilling your needs…but really it needs to be about the animal. What have you done for your dogs or cats? Most likely nothing. Maybe love love and more love, but that isn’t all a dog needs.
I know you all mean well by it but these animals arn’t your children they are dogs, cats, birds, etc. NOT HUMANS! So don’t treat them like humans…let them be dogs.
Don’t waste money on an animal if you are not going to cater to that animals needs.
September 17th, 2006 at 10:34 am
I completely agree that pets are both significant financial and emotional investments, but if you choose to make that investment, PLEASE get an animal from a humane society near you. Humane societies are temporary homes to almost any animal you can think of, from fish and hamsters to dogs and cats to even large animals like horses. Not only is adopting from a humane society a wholly, well, humane way of obtaining an animal, it is also undoubtedly the cheapest. For a $65 adoption fee I got a spayed cat in good health with all of her shots. I later took in a stray kitten and spent hundreds of dollars on spaying and shots, a huge financial investment compared to my previous cat. The bill gets even higher when you’re picking out a purebred, plus potential medical costs down the line. Before you go laying down $500 for something called a “puggle,” think about putting that $500 in a bank account for future medical expenses for your new friend and pick out a nice dog at the humane society. And really think hard about what sort of animal to get…I have plenty of 20 something friends who thought that they NEEDED a Labrador to make their lives complete who are now stuck with huge, hyper dogs that they do not have the time to care for. Think about the time you will have in your schedule to care for a pet, cut that time in half, and then see what sort of animal you could care for with that amount of free time and you should be able to fairly assess your pet choices.
September 17th, 2006 at 2:16 pm
I have an adopted rescue Beagle. She’s not cheap, but she’s the best dog ever. If I didn’t have her, I would probably need blood pressure meds, a therapist, help cleaning out my ‘frige, an electric blanket, a treadmill, and I would most likely drink a lot more.
Thinking about it like that makes having a dog seem cheap!
(don’t enter me in the contest, I’ve read the book and loved it!)
January 31st, 2007 at 8:01 am
I don’t think many people realize what it is to have a pet. They give no thought to the time, money, and love that the pet needs and deserves. Or, they get the totally wrong one for their lifestyles. If you are a partier who is gone 20 hours a day, a dog is not right for you (yes, this is a sore point with me). It’s not fair to the dog (or your neighbors, for that matter. Get a cat, or, better yet, some fish.
March 26th, 2007 at 3:15 am
I personally think that pet owenership is a great thing and we do it because we love animals !
i allways love seeing my dog jumpin around all day x
March 31st, 2007 at 6:12 pm
One of the many keys to having a great experience with your Dog is find a Breed that suits your expectations and your living enviroment … Having a Great Dane in a 500 square Foot apartment is not a good idea.
Do a little research and find a breed that fits your expectations … Then
Find a Good Breeder to find a health dog …. or the HS also has healthy dogs for you to select from.
A free good resource to start you search is http://www.findapurebred.com for photos, history and breeders.
April 25th, 2007 at 7:04 am
I know I’m way past the contest, and I don’t care. I spent about a quarter of a century doing rescue work – mostly cats. I placed them, adults and kittens both, in homes when I could; when I couldn’t, they lived in the house with me and my then husband. I spent thousands of dollars on food, vet fees, etc., out of a secretary’s salary. I had cat-hair covered everything, and for the most part, I didn’t care. I loved them. There have been changes in my life; due to ill-health, I’m down to one wonderful cat. I left the husband, and gave him the house (MY house – he never paid a penny for it or its upkeep) so that the other 23 cats would have a place to live.
I love my cat. He loves me. He doesn’t give a damn what I look like, or what the house looks like. He comes running when I come home, and puts his paws around my neck for a kiss. And I never yell at him when he stands on my incisions, wanting affection. I’ll carry him around the house and do things one-armed, because he wants to be carried, Mommy! No matter how berserk his yodeling may make me (what do you want? Food? Water? Cat food? Catnip? Clean litter? WHAT??), I don’t shut him out of the room so that I can get some sleep – I’d rather have him with me. He’s my family.
October 6th, 2007 at 4:14 pm
Completely agree about your comment about pets being animals, not humans! As someone who grew up in a poor farming family in Asia, I know to treat animals with respect but would never get a “pet”. All the animals I grew up with had to have a function. The cat that lived in our house killed rats, the dog was a watchdog, the chickens were there to lay eggs, etc. I greatly respect these creatures for they were what allowed my family to be fed, clothed and sent to school.
It sickens me when I hear of people spending hundreds to thousands of dollars on things like heart surgery for their dog when there are starving people out there. I give my money to AIDS charities and to CARE which helps people in Third World countries to become more self-sufficient through farming.
I hate it even more when people say that they prefer the company of animals instead of humans, simply because human beings annoy them. It’s like saying you prefer the company of a blow-up doll, because they can’t talk back.
If I were to get a pet, now that I’ve moved into the city, it would be medium to large sized dog that would act as a watchdog. I’d take it out for walks regularly to give it and myself exercise(will be added protection for myself when wandering about too). I’d feed it and pat it on the head, but would train it to remind it that I’m the boss(somewhere in their genetic makeup, dogs had a tendency to run in packs, and need to recognize a leader). I wouldn’t talk down to it like it were a cute little baby or put bows around it, I think that’s just simply demeaning and cruel to animals.
June 14th, 2009 at 7:40 am
We have 2 dogs and a cat. We didn’t buy any of them. One dog was a stary puppy that was dropped off near where we lived. She is a lab mix I think. We have had here for 4 years and she is a great companion. Then my wife found a cat for our daughter on Craigslist that was free. A€fter that we got this little black dog that someone my wife works with gave her. they are all great pets. They may not be pedigree pets but they are great companions and are gentle with my 2 year old daughter. I have never paid for a pet.
Of course they have expenses such as shots, vet bills if they get sick, food, toys, etc. However they bring us joy better than a bunch of useless Chinese made crap that we could have bought.
November 14th, 2009 at 7:56 pm
I’LL HAVE TO SAY OWNING PETS AND KIDS IS NOT QUITE THE SAME EXPERIENCE. WHEN THE KIDS ARE GETTING ON MY NERVES I CAN’T LOCK THEM UP IN A CAGE AND CLOSE THE DOOR ONLY TO FIND THEM A COUPLE OF HOURS LATER HAPPY TO SEE ME.
June 8th, 2010 at 3:39 pm
Many times I WISHED I could send the kids out back with a bowl of food and water and take some me time! Still, true enough that owning an animal can be inconvenient and expensive; people who do not know this or care to commit to finding out should definitely NOT invest in a pet — and most of them will never read this!