Pets as Christmas presents: keep them off gift lists if unprepared

Pets have been valuable lockdown partners but their impact on household finances has prompted the RSPCA to speak out.

Booming pet ownership during the pandemic has sparked an RSPCA pre-Christmas warning for people to understand the costs of buying or adopting a furry family friend.

There are more pets – 30.4 million – than people in Australia and more than two-thirds of households have one.

However, pet prices and upkeep costs have been climbing, and RSPCA head of animal services Hannah Dreaver says pets “should never be given as a surprise gift”.

“The new owner has to have given a lot of thought about being ready to welcome a pet into their lives, including the upfront and ongoing costs, and their lifestyle and living situation and the kind of pet most suited to their family,” she says.

A recent Animal Medicines Australia report, Pets and the Pandemic, says 69 per cent of households own a pet, up from 61 per cent in 2019.

It says more than a million dogs have been brought into Aussie households between 2019 and 2021, taking their total to 6.3 million: “a fifth of all pet dogs in Australia have been procured during the pandemic … a quarter of all pet cats were also obtained in the pandemic”.

RSPCA head of animal services Hannah Dreaver says pets shouldn’t be a surprise gift.

Dog owners spend an average $3200 a year on food, veterinary services and healthcare products, while cat owners spend $2100 annually, the report says.

“While a third of dogs were acquired for free, the remaining two-thirds cost an average of $1113 – with those acquired since March 2020 averaging $1740.”

Dreaver says adoption can be more cost-effective but people “need to consider unexpected costs which are the same whether you shop or adopt”.

“Adoption is cheaper but the fee will still run into the hundreds, maybe more, to cover microchipping, desexing, vaccinations and other healthcare your rescue puppy or dog will have received in the shelter,” she says.

Many people are also unprepared for just how much treating a sudden injury can cost. “A puppy that has an obstruction after eating something like a sock and then needs surgery, could easily cost up to $6000,” Dreaver says.

Pet insurance can help, she says. She also advises extra care if buying online, which has a higher risk of being scammed or supporting puppy farms.