How much money do you spend...

[Larry, Baby and Me]

Just curoius. How much money do you spend on your bird(s) compared to the other animals in your household?

I know that I spend more money on Baby, with toys, food, vet visits, books, etc than I have on all the other animals I have had in my lifetime - combined.

According to APPMA...

Total Number of Pets Owned in the U.S. (millions)
Bird 16.0
Cat 88.3
Dog 74.8
Equine 13.8
Freshwater Fish 142.0
Saltwater Fish 9.6
Reptile 13.4
Small Animal 24.3

[Bambam]

Larry..I haven't really thought about that..but my 34 yr old sometimes complains that Bambam gets more toys than he did as a child:rofl:don't know how he figs. that..since he has almost every Star Wars toy made.

[bonnie]

Everyone thought I was INSANE when I told them how much the new cage was! Plus the toys to fill it... I just love that bird... lol

[FoxersArtist]

I don't even want to think about our monthly cost but here are some estimations:

Commercial food: $200
Fresh food: $50-$75
Toys: $60-$100
Toy Parts: $40-$50
Vet: $110-$200 (yup, we usually have at least 1 vet appointment per month.)
We have spent roughly $3,000 on cages in the past few years.

That's an average of about $500-$600 each month total. Eeee, don't tell Andy...:susp:
Costs for our dog and turtle don't even begin to compare. In fact, I cringe to say that we probably spend more on the birds than the kids.
-Anna

[Anne-Samantha's Mom]

I dont think about it...yes, we had a doggie who live to 18 2/2 and two cats who lived to old ages..Sam is more trouble and expensive than all of them put together and she is not even two years old..lol..expensive? who cares? she deserves it...

[Patty, Linus and Co.]

I've never tallied it up, but I will say that when I go to the market for food I spend more on the birds than on me. After that it's the toys and vet bills that take me down.

[Evelyn]

With 3 birds, I usually place an order for food every 3 months for about $300.00 each time. That's not counting toys. I usually do my big toy spending at our Bird Fair for several hundred dollars. I've only bought one cage. All of my birds came with big cages except the baby.

Only one of my birds has ever needed to go to the vet, and the vet's diagnosis was sexual frustration. I take them for a well-bird visit about twice a year, and when they need their nails clipped. Our vet is expensive, I think--the three well bird visits were about $400.00, but I did have some tests done.

I have 4 horses, and they are rarely sick, so other than routine visits from the vet for shots twice a year, there are rarely any vet bills. Altho my last foal managed to cut her foot somehow which required x-rays and several vet bills to the tune of a little less than $1,000.00. Food is expensive. They eat a pellet and sweetfeed mix and alfalfa hay. The hay is $9.00 a bale (next order will probably be more), and they go through a half a bale a day. The grain is $12.00 per 50 pound bag, and they go through about 10 pounds a day.

I have 3 big, senior citizen dogs. The two poodles rarely need a vet, altho they go twice a year for check-ups and heartworm tests. The pit bull, poor baby, has been a real drain, but I wouldn't give him up for anything. He was injured when I first got him (he had been hit by a bus,which was the beginning of a real ordeal. Without going into a long story, he started hemorrhaging after surgery, went into a coma, had continuous seizures, heart stopped, got pneumonia, had more surgery, had extensive brain damage), and I spent about $7,000.00 on him; and I'm happy to say except for the amputation of one of his front legs, recovered completely. The missing leg didn't slow him down much when he was younger. Now he is about 12, and was diagnoses with a fatal, untreatable type of cancer last Spring. The vet thought he might have a few weeks. Well, he's still here, and except for slowing down some (due as much to age as to the cancer, I think), he is OK. He wags his tail, eats, doesn't seem to be in any pain, and is happy as long as I'm nearby. Vet said the tumor had not only stopped growing, but it had shrunk. He's had 3 check-ups since the diagnosis, and the cancer seems to be in remission.

All-in-all, I would say I spend more on the horses, but that is primarily because of the cost of the hay. The birds run a very close second.

Wow! I just realized that if I gave up all my animals I could afford a new car, or a European vacation, or maybe a summer home! It'll never happen!!! My animals will eat and get medical care before I do.

Evelyn

[too&me]

You have to take care of you too, we don't want all those critters having to find another Sugar Mama. Good for the old guy he is beating the odds, we have a tripod cat who lost her leg at birth due to a very young inexperienced Mama. Said cat is the alpha critter in the household the empress of all she surveys and the enforcer if some of the others are rowdy. You should see her take a corner at speed, brakes & slides.:cheers:

[Evelyn]

Fortunately, I am not yet in a position in which I have to choose, but my animals will never lack for anything they need because I can't afford it. (And I don't really need a new car or a European vacation.) Who would take care of my birds?

Evelyn

PS - I have a 3-legged cat, too, but she is young and I don't think really knows the difference.

[birdie]

I hope hubby doesn't read this, although I think he has a good guess...
Food, est $125 per month, the vet, it depends. Toys on the other hand, I just dropped $300+ at Dr F & S and would guess I average $200 monthly but that depends on how much I go "surfing" at the online bird shops:))
Do I have to include the floor we are redoing in the livingroom under the bird cages to replace the carpet? Or the molding that has been chewed up? or the curtains? :haha:

[Sashagirl]

Having 25 parrots we stopped tallying up the cost because the numbers keep growing.It's never a small fee because I think the vets think that if you have so many you can afford their prices.We get what they need as they need it and take them to the vet annually for whatever has to be done.
We are changing our avian vet back to our vet who started her own practice and now does housecalls.:dancered:

[FoxersArtist]

Having 25 parrots we stopped tallying up the cost because the numbers keep growing.It's never a small fee because I think the vets think that if you have so many you can afford their prices.We get what they need as they need it and take them to the vet annually for whatever has to be done.
We are changing our avian vet back to our vet who started her own practice and now does housecalls.:dancered:
I'm so thankful to have a vet who understands and appreciates our efforts to do rescue. She seems to give me discounts on most everything if it involves a rescue. Thank goodness for people who understand that rescues are mostly out of pocket expenses and lets get real, not too many rescues are overflowing with cash!
-Anna

[CrystalinNC]

I don't really want to try to guess....but here goes:
Food: Lessee...I drive to another town to get special seed and millet spray, they're the only place that carries Higgins. It's about 8.00 a week
Roudybush: I get the small bag for about 2.00 a week
Zupreem: Big bag, but it lasts about a month so 12.00 a month
Treats: Nutriberries, 13.00 a month. Avicakes, 10.00 a month
Fresh foods: this is tough because I buy with groceries, but i would guess about 10.00 a week. (mixed veggies, dried beans, and brown rice are pretty cheap) I also get fresh fruits and veggies, but we chomp on those too.
Foods monthly tally: 115.00 WOW! no wonder I can't pay bills!

OK...
Toys:
I usually limit myself to about 2 toys a week. I get a cheap chew up toy and a "permanent" one.
So toys about...20.00 a week
Toy tally: 80.00 a month

Vet: I would say that I have to take one in about once every 2 months
Vet tally: 60.00 a month.

Total bird cost a month: 255.00 (yep, that's a car payment)

[Dot]

I've never tallied it up, but I will say that when I go to the market for food I spend more on the birds than on me. After that it's the toys and vet bills that take me down.

I definitely spend more for food for them than for me. But, they share, and I do eat better now that I have the birds.

That reminds me, I can have sprouts in my salad tomorrow. Em good. :haha:

[Dot]

You have to take care of you too, we don't want all those critters having to find another Sugar Mama.

Now this is sad to admit, but Blusher (RFM), aka Sugarbutt, has actually called me Sugar mama before! :smiles:

[Dot]

Do I have to include the floor we are redoing in the livingroom under the bird cages to replace the carpet? Or the molding that has been chewed up? or the curtains? :haha:

Heavens, no! All of the above are pro bono. They don't charge us for that! :rofl: