The High Cost of Cats and Dogs: Are Pets Worth the Money?
Published on - March 7th, 2009 (by J.D. Roth) Kris and I don’t have kids. We have cats. We have four of them.
Our “children”: Nemo, Simon, Maxwell, and Toto.
We’d have more, but Kris won’t allow it. She says I’m in danger of becoming the Crazy Cat Gentleman. On the whole, I cannot imagine my life without these animals. They bring us joy and fulfillment, and the cost is minimal.
Under normal circumstances, our four cats cost us a total of about $750 a year, which is roughly fifty cents per animal per day. That’s a bargain! The problem, of course, comes from abnormal circumstances. Once every three years or so, one of the cats costs us a small fortune.
In 2001, our beloved Tintin died of diabetes. In 2004, Toto suffered from heat stroke. In 2006, Nemo developed mysterious lesions on his legs. And this year, Simon took his turn at the veterinarian’s office. Last weekend, he became lethargic, and he stopped eating or drinking.
I took Simon to the vet on Friday, where they administered a subcutaneous fluid injection to hydrate him. Total cost? $224.70. Unfortunately, his condition did not improve over the weekend. On Monday, Simon and I returned to the vet. They kept him for the entire day, running tests and taking x-rays and, much to his chagrin, force-feeding him with a syringe. Total cost? $422.23.
Nursing Simon through his illness (“fever of unknown origin”, which seems to be vet-speak for “I’m stumped”) cost us $646.93, or nearly our entire yearly budget for all four animals!
The high cost of cats and dogs
Last year, The New York Times ran an article about the financial implications of pet ownership. Alina Tugend wrote:
The American Pet Products Manufacturers Association asked 580 dog owners and 402 cat owners to record the amount they spent in the last 12 months on specific pet-related items. The dog owners spent almost $2,000; cat owners about $1,200. If you want a real deal, small animals came in at just under $300.
In 2001, Steph Bairey at FamilyResource.com researched the estimated costs of common pets. Though she doesn’t explain her methodology, she found that:
- Dogs cost about $730 per year.
- Cats cost about $355 per year.
- Rodents cost about $160 per year.
- A tank of fish costs about $200 per year.
- Birds cost about $770 per year.
- Lizards cost about $745 per year.
- Snakes cost about $520 per year.
These numbers seem high to me. $355 per year per cat? (Or $1200 per year, according to The New York Times?) Each of ours runs about $200. $520 each year for a snake? Kris and I owned a snake for many years. Sanderling ate one $2 mouse every fortnight. With some very minor miscellaneous costs, she might have cost us $60 per year.
Worth the cost
Some personal-finance bloggers have written that pets don’t make economic sense. Maybe so, but neither does television — and neither do children. But not every choice is made based on the economics of the situation. Some things transcend money. For me, pet ownership is one of those things.
I’m pleased to report that Simon is doing much better. He had the vigor to outrun a stray dog this afternoon (by climbing 20 feet up our redwood tree). We don’t regret spending $646.93 on his medical care last week, but the process made me think: How much is too much to spend on the health of an animal? Kris and I are fortunate to have savings and solid incomes. We can afford to take care of our animals. But what if it would have cost $2,000 to help Simon? Or $12,000? How much is too much to spend on a cat?
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I have fish. My ex girlfriend bought the fish, bowl, rocks, plastic plant and food for less than $20. 1.5 years later he’s still alive and the food is nowhere near gone. I do need to change his water every now and then (which I should do tonight actually.)
Fish are nice pets and I’m not allergic to them. I get my cat fix by looking at LOLCats and hearing my friend tell me about hers. Claritin isn’t cheap so I stick to fish.
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Question: Are pets worth the money?
Answer: No they are not. They are a waste of resources.
I do not know a single pet owner that gives their pets the proper attention or training on a day to day basis. Most pet owners treat their animals like toys.
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this question has been asked repeatedly by pet owners new and old. It’s a never-ending question with no real satisfying answer. Salon.com published a good piece about this question.
http://www.salon.com/mwt/feature/2008/02/08/my_1300_cat/index.html
here another one from slate
http://www.slate.com/id/2126249/
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Give me a break. “Pets cost money, so do children and tv.” Houses cost money too. Food costs money too. I think pets are the far most useless and non beneficial thing to have in a home. I can’t believe anyone especially the person who wrote this even compared this to children.
First of all, children are children and they obviously cost more because human beings need more than a mere cat or dog. And children comes out of people, cat and dogs don’t fly out a female person. And if you consider children to be expensive, then neither of us would have been born and here to discuss this matter.
My mom ridiculously bought a Shiba Inu and it needs more than ever and I even considered moving out of this damn house. It does not listen no many how much it’s told, it bites furniture which damages it, it barks which disturbs my sleep (can’t even have a good night rest for college), it always has an “allergy problem” and some sort of sickness every single day, it chews paper and jumps onto our table and grabs my research paper.
Might I also say this dog sheds like a cat and I have dog hair all over my clothes, inside my shoes, and even in my underwear.. even if my clothes just came back from the laundry and never left my room which I don’t even let it go outside. I also got bitten many times for no reason, out of the dog’s selfish needs and bruises everywhere from scratches, bites, everything.
I am sick of pets and I hate how people never clean up after their damn pets and leave their feces everywhere outside for me to step on.
Anyone who really wants to clean up urine from the floor, deal with shedding, vets, checkups, having to walk a dog, pick up food for the animal, etc don’t even complain later on that you’re sick of any of these chores, because you chose to do it. Pets are an extreme waste of money and people fall for the trap because they find a dog or cat so “cute” and just bring it home and let the animal whip you into shape by you having to walk the animal or clean up after its mess like a SLAVE.
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@Jennifer.
I give charity, about 2.5% of my savings. I don’t buy clothes, I buy food, pay rent, and energy bills. I don’t have a house phone line, only cellphone. I’m not into fashion, I pay my college tuition. I have no pets and will never interested in it.
People who have pets and consider them “children” are just arrogant and want to show off their money but don’t want kids because they aren’t responsible enough for anything else, instead they take home an animal because it’s such a trend especially in the USA to have a dog barking out a window or chained up in the yard scaring people while they walk on down the block, or start to cry when they found out someone ran over their cat who can’t look both ways before crossing a street.
Just because you pay charity and you have a pet, doesn’t make you a hotshot.
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Too many comments to read, so I hope I am not just regurgitating other people’s posts.
Not everything can be measured in money. Happiness which children or pets bring (yes, children and pets ARE comparable, without question) is beyond money. You still want to put a price tag on that? It is possible. Studies show that people who have pets are better able to handle stress, experience faster recovery from ilnessess (even heart attacks!), children brought up with pets are less likely to suffer from allergies. If happiness is not convincing enough, think of the savings in the doctor’s office.
To some posters: pets are not for all. More than this: not all people should be having children. Nobody is forcing you to have either. But don’t try to push your judgement on other people, or complain about other people’s pets. You are coming across like pathetic jerks, really. You do not have a license to run this world. Animals have the same right to exist as you or me.
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@ Miranda,
People who have pets are healthier and live longer than people without pets. This is just one of the many reasons that people have them (compassion and companionship being two more), but the health and longevity benefits are scientifically proven.
As far as children, you could just as easily make the argument that people who decide to have their own children are arrogant and want to show off not only their money (and many parents don’t have enough money to raise their children adequately) and DNA (which is, frankly, appalling to me).
Adopting a pet that cannot take care of itself, out of the goodness of your heart, and having the compassion to care for it when it didn’t “fly out of them” seems FAR more responsible to me than having a child just to boost your own ego.
And you have to clean up vomit, excrement, and a child’s toys, too. There is really not that much difference between taking care of a pet and taking care of a baby except that pets are cheaper and easier to care for (no matter what extenuating circumstance). It’s not like having a child makes you a hotshot, either – plenty of complete imbeciles, morally bankrupt individuals, and even incarcerated criminals have them.
Personally, I would rather have cats (who are sweet and who have never harmed anyone) than a child whose sense of entitlement leads to insensitivity to others. I donate to charity, too – but only charities that benefit animals because I am so sickened by most human beings. They don’t deserve it, IMO, and animals do.
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Miranda, in no way does anyone I know consider me arrogant. The reason I mentioned giving to charity was because another poster insisted pet owners should give to charity instead of spending money on their pets. I never compared pets to children. I have no desire to have children and it’s not because I’m irresponsible, but because I don’t have any desire to have them. When I adopted my dog, it was not “trendy” to have a pet. The only trend I’ve seen related to pets is tiny dogs that idiot celebrities carry in their purses. And, how exactly does having a pet show off money? Houses, cars and designer clothes maybe, but pets? My dog doesn’t bark out the window, nor has he ever been chained outside, nor does he run lose to be hit by a car. And my dog is mostly inside and when my friends and neighbors come to visit, they love spending time with him. I’ve never claimed to be a hotshot…and charity is something you give…not something you “pay.” And 2.5% is nothing to brag about either.
You are apparently very young, very immature and your attitude has been influenced by your mother having a dog that she apparently does not have the knowledge to take care of. The description you have given is absolutely nothing like our life with our dog, with the exception of a little dog hair. (Although in 10 years, I’ve never seen dog hair in my underwear or any clothes I’ve washed.) I can hardly complain about the dog hair, when my husband finds my long blonde hairs everywhere, too.
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Miranda you are an idiot. If you are so miserable living in your mother’s house with her pet perhaps you should move out and get your own place.
I am unable to have children. My marriage ended because of this. In the past it caused me a great deal of personal grief however I came to grips with the fact that maybe I was put here for another purpose. Purposes. I have many I am sure. And one of those purposes is to provide a home for UP TO 5 cats. They do indeed provide me with an outlet for my need to nurture and therefore, although not a replacement for a child or “equal” to one they are my companions and I love them more than you could imagine with your cold mean heart.
Many people have told me that I could have adopted and yes I could have but I did not have a husband after the ex left and for me that is a deal breaker although I will defend the right of anyone else to do this on their own.
ALL of my cats were rescued from shelters for a very minimal cost which included in all cases full spay/neuter and most of the first shots. My latest adoption was a cat who had been up for adoption for 3 years and had “cage rage” and so was considered unadoptable. I got her for nothing because of this and in only 2 months she has gone from a snarling troll to a sweet loving cat who obviously loves where she is as much as I love her.
My cats provide me with a life of quality and I could not imagine my life without them. If I have a bad day they seem to know and pay me more loving attention. They do relieve my stress. They provide me with hours of entertainment as I watch them play and interact with each other and with me. On cold nights they warm me and when my alarm goes off in the morning I can count on at least one of them to be right there to greet me. I don’t dress them up in clothing but I do talk to them and they talk to me. My oldest is 19 and very healthy but completely deaf. At night he gets on the bed with me while I read for a while and sleeps with his head on my shoulder.
They shed. I vacuum and have a very clean house. They sometimes vomit and I clean it up. They will sometimes (rarely actually) scratch the furniture but I don’t care. All of my furniture is throw-offs that I refinished myself. I can always refinish it again.
They don’t eat a top of the line food but a decent one at about $20/month. Their litter costs me about $40/month. Each standard vet visit costs about $60/year. I have a good education and a good job and do not live with my mother and I have the money to provide for their needs and my name alone is on the deed to this house which I bought with my own money that I earned myself and which I keep up with my own blood sweat and tears. I have 3 major credit cards only one of which has a small balance – one is left empty for reimbursable business expenses and one is left empty for unexpected vet bills which I have an online savings account to cover completely. I am not wealthy and not even well off but I have planned my finances well and my cats fit into that and are my priority and as many posters have said before I will go without before my pets go without their basic needs. I made a commitment to them when I brought them into my life so like the mother of a human child I will eat potatoes every meal before they go without food.
I have been following this post and the comments since it was first posted and some have warmed my heart and some have inspired me and some have confused me and I disagree with some but hands down your rant was the only one I felt the need to address with a response.
I feel sorry for you.
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@Miranda: You seem to be a deeply, deeply unhappy person. I am sorry for that. I truly hope that you find happiness in your life some day, by whatever avenue is appropriate.
I am truly sorry that you are so miserable. You sound like you need someone to talk to.
Good luck to you, and best wishes.
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Miranda, why are you so angry? While it clearly sounds like your mother doesn’t really know how to properly care for her dog, I don’t understand why you are so angry about what other people choose to do with their own lives.
People who have pets are arrogant and trying to show of their money? That’s a very strange comment. Never once have I seen someone with a pet and thought, “They must be rich.” Nor, in my many years of pet ownership, have I ever thought, “Ha! Having this pet totally proves to everyone that I’m rich!” I have found that pets enrich my life, but that aren’t some sort of tool for bragging about my wealth (frankly, I do my best to avoid discussing my money with friends; I don’t know how much money my friends earn and they don’t know how much I earn, and I prefer it that way).
If pets aren’t for you, that’s perfectly fine, I just don’t understand why you’re so angry about the fact that other people don’t feel the same way that you do.
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We are subscribing to the Banfield Wellness Plan at Petsmart. http://www.banfield.net/optimum-wellness-plans
Your experience may be different but it is worth it for us. It is not insurance but pre-paid preventive services then you get a 15% discount on all other treatments. We pay $29.95 a month but it includes teeth cleaning (with anesthesia) unlimited office visits, all shots, spay/neuter, all preventive physical exams. The one time our dog had a minor surgery, it would have been about $550, we paid $150. I think the teeth cleaning is also normally $200 per treatment, it was included on this plan.
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It actually costs over $100,000 per pet. You’re not taking into account opportunity costs. Read this: http://www.dailybrilliance.com/the-true-cost-of-owning-a-pet-you-may-be-surprised/
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Whoa, whoa, whoa. Your cat was strong enough to outrun a stray dog? Cats belong inside, where their overall health, life expectancy, AND cost are much better.
This makes me lose a lot of respect for you, J.D. Unless your “pets” are actually ferals you’re feeding, there’s no excuse for subjecting them to the dangers of the outside world.
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If you are not factoring in occasional extra expenses when budgeting for your pets you will continuously go over budget. Think of it this way – do you budget just for the daily expenses of owning a car or include extra for unforseeable but inevitable repairs? You better be setting aside something extra every month or you will very often blow your budget, and the same holds true for pets. It sounds like you have enough data on those extra pet “repairs” to revise your pet budget to a more realistic level – sock the extra away in savings and when the next “repair” is needed hopefully you’ll have money waiting. And if I can stretch the analogy a little further – just as with cars, expect the repairs to increase in frequency and expense as your pets get older, and plan accordingly. That’s where the analogy ends – because unlike with cars you would not dream of trading in your pet for a “newer model” because of increasing “repair” costs.
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I’m a bit late to this one, but as a dog owner I do have pet insurance.
My reasoning? I don’t my dog’s health (or even worse, life) to have to be a financial decision. He’s worth way more than that.
About three weeks ago I was glad to have it (he had a day’s worth of tests after some fairly constant yelping and hobbling), although I do wonder if in the long run I would have been better off to have put a comparitive amount of money into a saving account. Again though, I wouldn’t have liked to have taken the chance that I’d have had enough at any given time to adequately care for him.
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My husband read these figures to me while we were waiting for our return flight home. Meanwhile, at the petsitter’s, my dog appeared to be near death and went to the ER. My dad turned down nearly $900 of treatment for the overnight stay and took her home after they did what they could for her. The next day he took her to the regular vet and all told it was $1000 of treatment between the ER and regular vet, even though we avoided surgery. Now she has a ‘pre-existing condition’ so I wouldn’t be able to get pet insurance for her.
But next time I buy a puppy, I’ll be looking into pet insurance. I think it covers accidental things like eating things you shouldn’t and needing several x-rays due to bowel blockage.
The reason I did not buy pet insurance in the past is it does not cover things like hip surgery, which labs are probably going to need eventually because they tend to have bad hips.
I did think we didn’t even spend $730 between the two dogs per year, but after that big vet bill, I can’t say that anymore!
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Well, crap, I got to this conversation a little late
First off: JD, your cats are BEAUTIFUL. The photos in a natural setting especially show them off, too. I have a tendency to worry for cats that are allowed outside, but I also know that once you’ve done so, it’s almost impossible for them to be indoor-only cats again. Maybe that’s something to consider for your next kitteh, JD.
My husband and I have four cats of our own, too, and often appall my parents at how much I’m willing to spend on them. My general rule of thumb has more to do with quality of life than with cost. I recently spent $2,000+, for example, to have almost all of my cat Lirazel’s teeth removed. She was suffering from stomatitis, an auto-immune disorder where the body develops an extreme inflammatory response to the bacteria in plaque, and the roots of her teeth had become exposed and incredibly painful as a result.
She was also, which I think is relevant, less than two years old. I knew from other cats of mine that had to have teeth removed that she would recover easily (most cats with all teeth remove learn to chew food with the ridgy part of their palate); and I knew her quality of life would be improved as a result – so I didn’t hesitate.
On the contrary, my mother’s older cat was recently diagnosed with a mass that ruptured his ear drum and caused him massive amounts of pain and loss of motor control on one side of his face. I was sad when my mom chose to have him euthanized, but from what I understood his prognosis was not good, and he was suffering greatly.
I’m willing to pay any cost to prolong the life of my pets, so long as that life has any sort of quality.
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While I absolutely love cats, and realize that they provide alot of mental health boosts to their owners, I am still honestly surprised that the pet topic on personal finance blogs consistently leads to a flood of people that support spending lots of money on pets. I grew up with several cats in the house, but due to a blue-collar financial situation I believe the highest single vet bill for a cat was $300, and it happened only once. We also had a dog for several years that was technically someone elses and rather old at the time we got him. I remember resenting the $200 tooth cleaning appointments for the dog ALOT while we kids got free school lunches and food stamps. All I know is that if I ever have pets I will never spend outrageous amounts of money on them for medical treatments. Draining emergency savings for chemo, etc. for an animal is silly- what happens when the PEOPLE in the family need medical care, or the children need assistance with college expenses. Pets are great, and for people without kids do whatever makes you happy. Personally if I didn’t have kids I would much rather fund a scholarship fund for needy kids with $3000 than spend it on an emergency cat operation. And I swear, I love cats! Just my two cents.
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Marcy, it sounds like maybe you should forgo pets, then.
In any case, do not judge those of us who do choose to have pets and who do choose to budget in their care.
I will have you know, as well, that there are plenty of people WITH CHILDREN who STILL value their pets and who STILL budget in their care, and the children in the family do not suffer for it.
Good grief!
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Marcy: Since you will probably be skewered here; I just want you to know I agree with you. While it sounds like your parents had their priorities out of order – I agree that thousands of dollars on a pet is extravagant, a luxury, certainly. I am not the only one on this thread who thinks so either. And I think you make a point that since GRS seems to focus so much on frugality to achieve wealth (and rightly so for most of us) – it seems that to spend thousands of dollars on a pet is counter-productive AND as many others have pointed out, it is sometimes simply because a pet owner is thinking of their own feelings and not necessarily the well-being of the pet.
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I think a few people here are missing the point of what “frugality” is really all about. Frugality is not JUSt about keeping costs down, but more about prioritizing spending while keeping costs down.
Pet ownership is not CHEAP, but it can be achieved and managed in a very frugal way. It can be argued that having children is not frugal either, but again, it is all about prioritizing.
Since I have pets and they mean a lot to me, their care gets factored into my budget. I have a system for the bigger decisions that may have to be made one day.
Part of being frugal, as I have said, is achieving best quality of life for EVERYone in the family while keeping costs down.
If pets do not contribute to one’s quality of life, then it’s best not to have pets. Likewise children.
JD, have I sort of come close to getting the definition of “frugal” right? It’s not about “cheap.”
Thanks.
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Nicely put Jen. I have my priorities and amongst the priorities factored in are my cats. Their routine needs and annual vet visits are factored into my budget. Some people have kids, some people go to movies or dine in restaurants or pay to see sports. I like to stay home and experiment with recipes and work in my yard and support my cats. These pleasures cost me nothing. I am not fashionably clothed and I rarely see a movie but $2.48 buys me 5 yard bags and filling them means I am outside and working on my property and filling my days with healthy, good hard work.
I have a vet emergency fund that I pay into every month. Since this is online I have a credit card that I keep at zero specifically for vet emergencies because it takes several days to transfer from the online savings to my checking account.
Within my means (which are rather meager) I will do anything in my power for my pet. Because I am frugal and because I am financially responsible I do not bring more pets into my home than I can reasonably care for.
One year ago I had to put my 10 year old Maine Coon Cat to sleep. For many years he had “faded” and slowly lost weight. Every year we did a full bloodwork and tried several supplements and sub-Q fluids but we never were able to figure out what was wrong. This was not inexpensive but was within my financial means. He was my boy and honestly I would have cleaned out the vet account to make him well. But finally I had to decide to let him go because he was ready and I knew it.
I think there are far too many animals out there who need good homes. I wish I could advocate everyone adopting one. But honestly, and especially after reading EVERY ONE of these responses I think most humans do not deserve to do so and are frankly incapable. If you do not have a budget that allows for a pet and do not have the common sense to know what is best for them you should not have one. End of discussion.
My 5 cats are all dumpster babies. They were all found starving and abandoned because no one wanted them. And every day they provide me with more joy than I can possibly describe. Everyone tells me that they are the most beautiful cats they have seen and I know this is true because they have thrived with love and care. The oldest has cost me maybe $2000 over 19 years. The youngest had her leg surgery at $1400 and at 3 she has a long life ahead of her. The middle ones have their annual vet visit and because of good loving care have no issues. But the cost means nothing to me.
Today my sister adopted an older cat. She and her husband are vets and own their own clinic (unfortunately very very far from me). The previous owner of this cat lost her husband, then her business, then her house. She was compassionate enough to give her cat up to a shelter for adoption. I am seeing far too many abandoned pets on the streets in the past 6 months. If you have a pet and can not care for them properly please do the right thing and go to your local shelter.
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I continue to be frustrated with those who would compare pets to children. There is NO comparison. If you do not want children, fine. But please refrain from comparing the choice of having children with the choice of owning a pet. We do not have children because they will “improve the quality of our life,” but because most people have an innate desire to INVEST in the lives of these wonderful little people who will hopefully go on to make a positive difference in the world. And one of the most positive things we can do as we invest in our children is to teach them to give back, which has been a priority as I raise my four.
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Anne,
That is simply your opinion. Others see the world differently.
I feel bad for people who get so bothered by others having different views on things. Life must be terribly upsetting.
My husband and I do not plan to have kids, but we have dogs that add a lot of joy to our lives and get us out in the fresh air exercising every day. My husband and I refer to our animals as our kids when it’s just us, but I usually try to avoid doing that around anyone I don’t know for fear of setting them off, kind of the way you’ve been set off here. I think it’s too bad. I should be able to refer to my animals how I want without tiptoeing around people so primed to get upset. But I can’t, so I usually choose to avoid conflict – kind of like I avoid talking about politics with people who have different views than me and tend to get in a tizzy because not everyone sees the world the way they do – god forbid.
Too bad people can’t be a little more live and let live! (One lesson I’ve learned from my dogs.)
A.J.
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I find the most expensive part of owning pets is the around-the-house accommodations you have to make for them. For instance, before every furniture purchase I have to consider our two cats: Will they scratch this too easily? Will it attract a lot of pet fur? Will it hold up to crazy cat wear-and-tear? Because of this, I find myself spending a lot more money than if we had a pet-free home. Most recently, we opted for the leather couch over the fabric one so fur could be easily wiped away. That decision cost us an extra $2000. But snuggling on the couch with two cats without worrying about getting out the lent roller afterward? Priceless.
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Cat Fancy magazine reported that out-door cats are more prone to coming down with illnesses, hence increasing your vet bill. I have 3 indoor cats,but they still cost money when they get some unknown illness from time to time.
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Give me a break about how kids will grow up into these beautiful, society contributing members, etc,etc. Most kids today are considered exceptional if they merely hold jobs & are actually support themselves by their mid to late 20s. How many actually “contribute” to society? Our pets contribute as much or more to society by their calming presence in our lives.They aren’t abusing drugs, drinking, most aren’t even sexually active. How many can say the same for children over the age of 15? This is not to say there aren’t some amazing children, but on the average, your children are no more likely to contribute to society in any better way than our pets…..and I seriously doubt they have a calming effect on blood pressure.
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While I too like animals, they are not good for the environment. A medium sized dog has a
carbon footprint of 0.84 hectares, around twice the 0.41 hectares required by a 4 x 4 driving 10.000 kilomtres(6200 miles) a year,
including energy to build to car. Cats have a
eco-print of about 0.15 Hec, slightly less than driving a Volkswagon Golf for a year. Dogs decrease biodiversity in areas in which they are walked, while their feces cause high
bacterial levels in rivers and streams, making the water unsafe to drink, starving
waterways of oxygen and killing aquatic life.
Cat poo is more toxic than Doggy doo-owners
who flush their litter down the toilet ultimately infect sea otters and other otters
with Toxoplasma gondii, which causes a killer
brain disease.
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Matthew, what’s the carbon footprint of a human during their lifetime? We’re not having kids, so I don’t think my dog is going to kill the environment. With regards to the feces, wouldn’t the impact depend on how the feces are disposed of? We don’t walk our dog outside of our yard and let him leave feces anywhere. He goes in our own backyard and we clean up immediately. Are you telling me that a dog’s feces contains more environmentally damaging bacteria than ours does?
Does planting trees have the opposite effect on the environment and make up for a carbon footprint? If so, by what ratio? I’ve planted about 25 trees since I’ve had my beloved dog, which has been 10 years.
Don’t just tell us our pets are causing damage to the environment. Give us more information. I’d imagine that everyone and everything has a carbon footprint and although I try to be environmentally sensitive, I won’t live in a cave without a life to try and keep from having a carbon footprint.
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And here we come to realize: the worst thing for the environment is the environment itself. Nature is not a paradise field filled with fluffy rabbits and cheerful lambs, but a ruthless, bloody battlefield. Humans are not an overseeing authority, deciding who lives and who dies – humans are but a part of the system, just as susceptible to battle wounds as anyone else. So let us not judge other creatures on how good/bad they are for the “environment”, but try to enjoy their companionship while we can. They have just as much right to be here as anyone writing to this topic.
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