Pet insurer advises consideration before buying

by Richard Kilner

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Sainsbury’s Pet Insurance has conducted research which reveals that the lifetime cost of a dog bought in 2007 comes to around £9,000, and a cat costs £7,200.

The high figure is a combination of not just purchasing the pet, but the ongoing costs of food and pet insurance, and other necessary goods such as leads.

With more pets than ever being abandoned, Sainsbury’s is urging would-be pet owners to seriously consider the ongoing price of owning a pet and only getting one if they can afford it.

Currently the annual cost of a dog is slightly over £500, but this could rise to over £900 by 2020.

Steve Johnson, Sainsbury’s pet insurance chief, has stated that the costs of owning a pet are consistently rising above inflation.

Johnson went on to say that costs can spike in the twilight years of a pet’s life, due to medical bills.