Like many Americans, Thomas Guzowski and his wife, Eloísa López, are doing all they can to cut down on their spending as they struggle with inflation.
They even relocated this year to Redlands, Calif., from Los Angeles to decrease their cost of living. But there's one part of their budget they won't compromise on: care for Mali, their 13-year-old shih tzu, and Yaretzi, their 15-year-old terrier poodle mix.
"We're a childless household. There's no doubt our dogs have filled that maternal instinct that many people have," says Guzowski.
But caring for Mali and Yaretzi has gotten expensive. Mali, for instance, is blind in one eye and requires a costly prescription medicine.
"It's over $200 a month for his eye drops," Guzowski says. "I kind of almost feel embarrassed to say it out loud, because I know that not everyone shares the same values. But it's what we do, you know. I just work the hours to make sure his eye is OK."
Even though they have moved, Guzowski and López still spend an hour and a half each way driving back to Los Angeles so their dogs can see their previous veterinarian. Not only does it take more time, but the vet is also more expensive than closer options they have tried. The couple insists that the care is higher quality and worth the commute.
Guzowski and López are not alone in stretching their household budget for their pets. Many other pet parents have similar mindsets, in which they will make big sacrifices to their own personal expenses while refusing to do the same for their furry companions.
The Pew Research Center found that 97% of pet owners consider their animals to be part of their family. Pete Scott, president of the American Pet Products Association, says that the bond drives owners to splurge on their pets, even when money's tight.
"It makes people feel good," Scott says. "Ultimately I think it's more psychological than rational financial behavior."
When a meal at Carl's Jr. has become a treat
Guzowski and López still continue to spend on their dogs in other ways — even as the two rarely treat themselves.
One such rare occasion came after Guzowski got a nice raise when he landed a new job in January. The couple celebrated with a meal at Carl's Jr., which set them back about $45.
"The price is just so significant that it's no longer a convenience food — it's really a luxury item," Guzowski says.
Yet Guzowski and López continue to feed Blue Buffalo and Science Diet dog food to Mali and Yaretzi over cheaper options.
Those costs add up. Prices for pets and pet products and services have surged 25.8% in the last five years, outpacing inflation. Veterinary services alone have surged even more, rising 38.6% in the same time frame. Lately, however, these costs have started leveling off.
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Why pet costs are rising
Scott, of the American Pet Products Association, says there have been a variety of reasons for the price increases across the pet industry.
"It's higher ingredient, higher packaging, higher trucking costs," Scott says. "It gets passed down through the entire supply chain, even for the retailer. Employment costs are going up. Hourly wages are going up."
The heightened costs are affecting more people than ever before, with two-thirds of American households owning at least one pet, according to the American Pet Products Association. With so many pet owners, pet-care retailers are benefiting: Pet owners are projected to spend over $150 billion this year, a 55% increase since 2019.
But Guzowski hopes that paying up for the more expensive food will pay off.
"It's kind of this trust and belief that the more expensive brand is providing them with the nutrition that they need, which will help translate to their health," Guzowski says. "And that hopefully translates to lower vet costs and a longer life."
When your own groceries and your cat food cost the same
Lisa Wilkerson-Willis of Highland, Calif., is also hoping that more expensive pet food will pay off.
Wikerson-Willis, who works as an office administrator for a school-bus company, has a strict budget. She clips coupons, buys clothing only when hers gets worn out and grows her own tomatoes, onions, lettuce and sweet potatoes to save on produce.
But she refuses to skimp on the more expensive Wellness Core grain-free wet food for her Bengal cat, Benny.
"It costs me almost $100 to feed my cat per month. It's kind of crazy — like, why is it so expensive?" she says.
Her own monthly grocery bill is also $100. But for her, Benny is worth every penny. She got him as a wedding anniversary gift from her sister five years ago, after her two previous cats, Rocky and Inky, had both died within a year of each other from kidney disease.
Her vet at the time attributed their health problems to their dry-food diets, so she decided that Benny would be fed only premium wet food, regardless of the cost.
"He's something I can't cut back on, because if I do, he's going to suffer," she says. "He won't be able to tell me because he doesn't have a voice."
There are families that can't take it
While some families are going the extra mile for their pets, some people just can't take the high costs anymore.
The Humane Rescue Alliance's Washington, D.C., office alone received 6,000 inquiries last year from families wanting to surrender their pets. Bobby Mann, chief programs officer of the group, says most of the reasons for wanting to surrender a pet came down to finances.
Expensive routines, unaccommodating landlords and high veterinary costs were commonly cited by owners who would have wanted to keep their pet if their budget had allowed.
"What you don't see a lot of is, 'Hey, I just don't want this dog or cat anymore,'" says Mann. "It is typically, 'Because of a hardship I'm dealing with, I have to make a difficult choice to separate from my animal.'"
But even as the cost of pet ownership climbs, some people like Wilkerson-Willis say they could never give up a member of their family. She can't even bear the thought of cutting back on Benny's high-end food — though she is tempted at times.
"Sometimes I'll look at the cheap stuff and gravitate towards it," she says.
But she always goes right back to Benny's favorite Wellness Core tin cans.
"It's terrible," she says.
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