Older adults lean on pets, even as care costs bite harder

Pets remain a major source of meaning and connection for older adults, but the cost of caring for them is becoming harder to absorb. A new University of Michigan National Poll on Healthy Aging found that 83% of pet parents age 50 and older say their pets give them a sense of purpose, up 10 percentage points from 2018. But 31% now say their pets strain their budget, nearly double the 18% reported in the earlier poll. (ihpi.umich.edu)

The poll was conducted in September 2025 by NORC at the University of Chicago for the University of Michigan Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation, using a national sample of 2,698 adults ages 50 to 95. Overall, 55% of adults age 50 and older said they have a pet, with pet ownership more common among those ages 50 to 64 than among those 65 and older. Alongside purpose, respondents also cited enjoyment of life, social connection, feeling loved, and stress reduction as benefits of pet companionship. (ihpi.umich.edu)

The financial strain, however, is not evenly distributed. According to the University of Michigan report, older adults more likely to say pets strain their budget included women, those with household incomes under $60,000, people reporting fair or poor physical or mental health, and those living with a disability that limits daily activities. The report’s authors suggest the shift may reflect broader financial pressures, changing household circumstances, and the growing demands of caring for both aging people and aging pets. (ihpi.umich.edu)

That pressure fits with a wider access-to-care picture emerging across veterinary medicine. In January 2026, PetSmart Charities and Gallup reported that 94% of veterinarians say client finances sometimes or often limit their ability to provide recommended care. The same study found a communication gap: 81% of veterinarians said they often or always recommend an alternative treatment plan when care is declined because of cost, yet earlier Gallup data found 73% of pet parents who declined care due to affordability said they were not offered a more financially accessible option. Payment plans showed a similar disconnect, with 41% of veterinarians saying they often or always provide financing or payment-plan options, while just 23% of pet parents recalled ever being offered one. (gallup.com)

Industry groups focused on access are framing this as more than an isolated budgeting issue. PetSmart Charities-Gallup reported that 52% of pet parents said they had skipped or declined veterinary care in the prior year, with 70% citing financial reasons, and said many families would use lower-cost alternatives such as community clinics, home visits, or telemedicine if available. The ASPCA, meanwhile, has continued to highlight affordable-care expansion as a retention strategy to keep pets and families together. (petsmartcharities.org)

Why it matters: For veterinary teams, the Michigan poll is a reminder that pets may be central to an older client’s emotional health, daily routine, and social life, even when care becomes financially difficult. That raises the stakes of every conversation about preventive care, chronic disease management, diagnostics, and end-of-life planning. Inference: because lower income, disability, and poorer health were all linked to higher reported budget strain in the poll, practices that care for many older adults may benefit from proactively identifying affordability risks rather than waiting for a crisis visit. Structured estimates, phased treatment plans, transparent discussions about medical priorities, and referral pathways to charitable or community resources may help preserve both patient care and the human-animal bond. (ihpi.umich.edu)

The poll also suggests a nuanced shift in how older adults experience pet companionship. While more respondents now say pets give them purpose, fewer than in 2018 reported benefits related to enjoyment of life, feeling loved, stress reduction, physical activity, routine, and coping with symptoms. That may indicate that pets remain deeply meaningful, but the practical burdens of care are becoming harder to ignore. For veterinarians, that tension is likely to keep shaping compliance, visit frequency, and decision-making among older pet parents. (ihpi.umich.edu)

What to watch: The next developments are likely to center on whether practices, nonprofits, and policymakers can narrow the gap between what veterinary teams believe they offer and what pet parents actually experience, especially around affordability, alternative care plans, and support for older adults who may be at high risk of delaying care. (gallup.com)