Price are going up for Pets, Too! | ZENOAQ [Nippon Zenyaku Kogyo Co., Ltd.]

Hard times have hit many people around the world as economies flounder to keep afloat. But despite the cutbacks that many households are making in their budget the cost of pet keeping is steadily on the rise.
According to Anicom, a pet insurance company operating in Japan, the various costs incurred in keeping a pet dog or cat has gone up by about 20% in 2008 as compared to 2007.
According to the results of a survey done by the company in early 2009, the largest outlay by pet keeping households in 2008 was under the item "food and treats".
For dogs the average amount for the entire year of 2008 under this item was about 600 U.S. dollars. For cats it was about 400 dollars. The next most costly item was veterinary medical care for illnesses and injuries. This was about 350 dollars for dogs and 200 dollars for cats. However the survey included another item titled "vaccinations and preventive care".
When the amount listed under this item was added to the above the average total for both dogs and cats came to approximately the same as that for "foods and treats".
For Dogs, another large budget item was grooming at about 300 dollars per annum, whereas for cats this was a mere 50 dollars.
All in all the sum total for all the budget items for dogs was approximately 2500 U.S. dollars for the year 2008. In 2007 the figure was 2000 dollars. For cats the figure for 2008 was about 1200 dollars as compared to 1000 dollars in 2007. However these numbers must be understood as merely average figures. There are many pet owners on both the lower and higher ends of the scale.
For example under the item "boarding and pet sitting" the average annual figure for dogs is approximately 100 dollars and for cats a very minimal amount of a little over 20 dollars.
Needless to say there are people who will have family members look after their pet when they are away, but on the other hand there are cases where owners have reported spending thousand of dollars in boarding fees for multiple pets when going on long vacations
In any event under current prices in Japan it is estimated that a large dog, such as a golden retriever, will cost the household approximately 50 thousand U.S. dollars in its life time.
A smaller dog will cost 30 thousand dollars. This amount is large enough that it should certainly be considered in the financial planning and cash flow projections in any household contemplating the acquisition of a new pet.
Experts warn that the largest medical expenses fall on the family when their pet beings to reach middle and old age. This means that when you acquire a puppy for your growing child, these expenses will start coming after about 10 years. This is also when large educational outlays such as college tuition descend on the family. Keeping pets can be expensive in Japan, and in other countries as well.
But most people will agree.... they are worth more than their keep.

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