If you own a pet then you know they can cost some money. Is it possible to frugally own a pet without compromising the safety and well being of the pet?

In what ways do you safely make more frugal choices?

 I do better at the farm vet instead of the more upscale dog vet.  He is great with my dog and very knowledgeable, but doesn't make me feel like bad dog mom for opting our of things that I think are unnecessary.  I make it clear that our dogs are in their yard confined with an electric fence, or on a leash with us.  They don't get around a lot of other dogs, so certain germ issues aren't there.

we do all our home vet stuff on the livestock animals, so we do as much as possible for Cinnamon too. She has to get her rabies shots at the vet so i have a certificate and her hair/teeth/nails done once a year at a groomer. But lots of other meds and supplies are available through mail order so you can take of alot yourself.

 We feel that it is frugal as we do everything we can to prevent issues.  They are spayed and neutered ASAP, they are vacinated as is required by their age, we feed them quality food that is budgeted for, we have them trained for obedience, they wear collars with all their information on them as well as being chipped, they are leash trained(even the cats), they each see the vet once a year unless there is an emergency.  Our female cat has cost us a bit more as she has an acute medical problem and her meds cost us about $39 a month, but she will be put down on Wednesday so the cost is no longer a factor.

I think if you take proper care of an animal it can fit comfortably into the budget.  But you must get the right pet from the start, cat, dog, rabbit, bird, etc.  : ) 

 Brainschef, I really liked the way you summed that up.  I agree with you, prevention goes so far.  I'm sorry about you having your cat put down.  We lost our dog recently and it has been pretty hard on our whole family (other dogs more than anyone).  

In case you missed the post, today's THE SIMPLE DOLLAR has a thorough article on pets.  Its gist is that if you can't afford the pet any more, you should sell or give it to a loving family.  (Since I have not been following this thread, I apologize if I'm a Johnny come lately, & someone else already posted this reference.)

 I am of the mind that prevention goes a long way. Providing good care and healthy food can ward off some costly issues. I have been able to stock up on dog food with sales and coupons and I can find toys and treats cheaply as well.

It should be noted that I am not responsible for the dog's medical bills, only the daily care of him. He is a friend's dog who lives in a place that does not allow pets. So we have the dog until he can find another place to live that will allow him to reunite with his four footed pal. My personal preference in animals is for the kind that the local vets would likely think me mad for bringing in, hermit crabs, fish and frogs. I have none of them at this time but when we have room for tanks again, I'll likely be adding some of these guys to our family.

 Thank you.  We are putting our female down on Wednesday and my husband is devastated.  She is a deaf, long hair pure white cat and loves him to no end.  We rescued her and her brother from euthanasia when she was about 8 years old, we had to put her brother down within a year.  We have had her for 11 years and she has traveled the world with us, has her own furniture, is fed the best food(even shrimp on her birthday!).  My mil has made her special blankets, jackets for winter, etc.  She has been a very loving companion, but she as thyroid problems that have taken her quality of life from her.  She is no longer the comforting loving cat we knew.  She is vicious, bites everyone, her hair is falling out, she refuses her meds, tries to eat everything in site including a cardboard box the other day.  And she walks around the house crying constantly.  It breaks our hearts to have to go this route, we would rather she live with us as long as possible and go in her sleep, but it is not going to happen.  So today she will be treated like a queen and get extra love and attention, we will even look the other way even she gets cranky.  Tomorrow she will go to heaven and walk along the rainbow bridge with her brother.  : )

Having to make the choice between life and death for a pet is a hard decision to make. My heart goes out to you and your husband. I hope her day is as peaceful as possible so you can cherish a few more moments with her.