Many Americans Spend on Birthday Parties, Funerals for Pets

More than one in five people have held or attended a birthday celebration for a pet.

That’s among the fascinating results of a new survey about spending by CouponCabin.

One result is not surprising: Dog owners spend more on their pet per month than owners of cats. That’s discussed by Money Talks News’ Stacy Johnson in the video below. But the CouponCabin survey delved into other aspects of our financial commitments to our pets.

How much are we spending? CouponCabin found that:

• 62 percent claim to spend less than $50 a month on their pet.
• 22 percent spend between $51 and $100.
• 9 percent spend between $101 and $200 a month.
• 6 percent lavish more than $200 a month on a pet.

Nearly half of dog owners spend more than $50 a month while only 37 percent of cat owners said as much, CouponCabin says.

Now for the more interesting stuff. The survey found that:

• 36 percent of pet birthday bashes cost $20 to $49, and 17 percent cost $50 or more.
• Nearly a third of dog owners have celebrated their pet’s birthday, while only a quarter of cat owners have.
• Pet funeral and memorial services are also somewhat common, with 16 percent of adults saying they have attended one.

Finally, less than one in 10 pet owners have health insurance for their pets. Let’s hope they’ve self-insured by saving for future medical treatment.

How much do you spend on your pets? Birthdays? Funeral? Let us know on Facebook.