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Updated Thursday, February 4, 2010 10:47 am TWN, By Eve Mitchell, Contra Costa Times



	The four robotic hamsters, which are the main features of the Zhu Zhu Pets product. They squeak with pleasure when their little girl owners stroke them. (dpa) More Photos (2)

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Owning a pet should be seen as running a business

There really is not a yes-or-no answer on pet insurance, a product that most pet owners do not have. People who are considering pet insurance should shop around and compare coverage options, including any restrictions related to a pet's age and pre-existing conditions, along with deductible amounts before buying a policy. If you don't have pet insurance, consider having an emergency medical fund set aside to pay for unexpected vet expenses.

“We let them know (pet insurance) is available and that they should ask a lot of questions, what is covered and what is not,” said Scott Delucchi, vice president, Peninsula Humane Society and SPCA in San Mateo, Calif. “It's such a personal decision. There are ongoing costs for vet care but there is also the unexpected. We do tell them to plan for the unexpected,” he said.

People who opt to have an emergency fund for a pet's unexpected medical expenses instead of pet insurance should consider putting what they would have paid in monthly premiums into the fund, Buchwald advised. Typically, that works out to about US$200 a year.

Pet owners might want to consider taking a course in basic first-aid care for pets, said Eliza Fried, director of development and marketing for the East Bay SPCA.

While lay knowledge in pet first-aid is not meant to be a replacement for a vet's professional expertise, it can be useful to the owner, she said.

“If you've got children, you would take a CPR class. It's the same idea,” Fried said. “You get the skills to treat the emergency right away before going to the vet. It gives you confidence to have that in your back pocket.”

Boarding and grooming costs also have to be considered, especially if you have a long-haired dog or cat that has special grooming needs.

The potential costs of pet care can also have nothing to do with the price of kibbles, vet visits, or paying a dog walker.

If you are a renter and your apartment building allows pets, you may have to pay an extra security deposit, said Wiener. Of if you are a home owner and have a rambunctious dog who likes to jump, you may have to pay to put up a special fence to keep him in the yard.

To make sure a pet isn't going to create a dent in your budget, pencil in the estimated costs of having a pet into your monthly budget, he said. Beyond the ongoing costs associated with pet care, people who have an emergency savings fund for themselves should not overlook putting ongoing pet costs into monthly living expenses, Wiener said.

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