Today, pets are more than just a furry friend; they’re a part of the family too. So, it’s no surprise that you have to take care of their expenses as part of your responsibilities.
However, the cost of owning a pet, particularly cats and dogs, can vary depending on the types of expenses and how you manage it.
Whether you’re new to pets or want to know how to properly care for the one you have, below is a brief list of expected expenses so that you can get a clearer picture on what is needed to own and care for a pet.
1. Adoption or Purchase
Purchasing a dog or cat from the pet shop will cost you big bucks (usually thousands of Ringgit). This will be significantly lower if you adopt instead. Still, there’s a process to follow on whether you are fit to adopt them.
Adoption fees can differ according to the shelter and pet breed, but you can expect a starting price of RM50.
Between these 2 options, the ethical choice would be adoption. Buying from a pet shop is directly supporting breeders that may not be ethical in breeding animals due to trying to meet the fast demands of certain breeds. You may be surprised how many purebreds are in shelters and need a loving and caring home environment.
If you insist on buying from a breeder or pet shop, do take the time to learn the pet's history or its parents. This is beneficial in ensuring a healthy pet overall.
2. License
For those who own a dog, the next step is to require a license under the local municipality. A license fee can range from RM10 - RM50 annually, depending on your living area. Do however refer to your local municipal council for further details.
Note: having a copy of your dog’s license on their collar is helpful in case your dog runs out of your home and goes missing. This way, it will be easier to track them down with a registered license number.
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3. Vet Visits & Vaccinations
If you’ve adopted your pet from shelters, mandatory vaccinations may have already been done, lowering your total cost here. In circumstances that they weren’t done, your local veterinarian should be able to provide them.
Your pets would need to receive up to three vaccinations. It’ll cost around RM40 - RM80 per vaccine for cats and about RM50 - RM100 for dogs.
A deworming tablet can cost about RM10 - RM20, with 2 options viable for dogs. There’s a monthly tablet of RM15 or a yearly injection that costs about RM15 - RM20, both of which depends on the dog's weight and condition.
Cost of spaying, however, may differ according to government or private vet fees, with an expected range of RM100 - RM300. Do take note that after spaying, your pet would be kept under observation for a day or two in the clinic, depending on how long it takes for the stitches to heal.
This table below suggests the costs of spaying and neutering.
Note: spaying a female cat or dog is usually more expensive as it involves a more invasive procedure compared to neutering a male.
4. Food & Treats
It’s a daily, monthly and yearly recurring affair to care for your pet.
A dog is supposed to be fed an average of 7kg of food per month and a cat at roughly 6kg. In the end, it all depends on your pet’s size and their diet plans.
Dry foods can cost about RM10 - RM15 per pack (depending on the weight) while a premium brand of the same weight can cost roughly RM50 - RM150.
For wet foods, a can will cost from RM6.
Note: these calculations are based on most commercial food brands. In general, different pet food brands and quality will vary in pricing.
5. Grooming
You have to keep your pet healthy and clean at all times so grooming has to be on the list.
If you’re sending them to a groomer for basic grooming (inclusive of nail work, bath, dental care and hair trimming), it can cost about RM200-RM300 per visit.
For those of you that'll be grooming your own pets instead such as bathing them, be sure to pick the right shampoo depending on their skin problems as those can easily come up to RM50-RM80 from the best brands. Don’t worry, the cheap ones, starting from RM10, work fine too.
Below is a basic representation of grooming costs.
6. Toys
Just like babies and kids, your furry friends enjoy all the extra attention given to them and that includes playing with toys!
Things like a chew toy, rope ball, cat scratcher and interactive toys are some examples of what you can get for your pet. These can range anywhere between RM5 - RM100, depending on the size and quality of the toys.
7. Shelter
If you have a big area outside your home, then a kennel or cage is a preferred choice, which will mount up to a few hundreds or a thousand to build or buy.
But, if you’re working with a small area, a comfy bed will do the trick just nicely. You can get a bed from as low as RM15 online.
8. Cat Litter
While a dog can go out and about to do its business (provided the owner cleans up after it), cats would need a suitable litter box with the right dimensions.
A pack of litter, whether it uses clay clumping, non-clumping clay, crystals with corn or wheat and pine, can cost as low as RM12.
Note: if you clean the box daily, you may only need to change the litter about every 2-3 weeks.
9. Pet Insurance
An often overlooked factor is the fee for medical assistance in the case that your pet needs to undergo surgery or similarly.
The last thing you would want is to be billed a heavy sum of medical bills without the means of paying. Worry not!
Oyen, dubbed as the digital-first health insurance for pets in Malaysia, this platform lets you buy and manage your pets’ medical insurance online.
Be it vet visits, surgeries or even tests, Oyen has got you covered. And the best part? It’s easy for you to claim from any registered vet clinic throughout Malaysia!
For your reference, below are 3 different pricing tables you can choose from for cats and dogs.
The Bottom Line
Based on the calculations and costs, it can easily cost about RM3000-RM4000 annually to properly care for your pet.
However, these are just estimated costs, depending on the pet’s needs. The owner’s lifestyle also affects these costs, as it depends on their budget for their pets.
All in all, we hope that you are emotionally as well as financially prepared for the duties of a pet owner!