Older adults lean on pets, even as care costs squeeze budgets

Pets still play a powerful role in healthy aging, but the financial side of that bond is getting harder for many older Americans to manage. A new University of Michigan National Poll on Healthy Aging, published February 23, 2026, found that 83% of pet parents age 50 and older say their pets give them a sense of purpose, while 31% say those pets strain their budget. The survey suggests that, for many older adults, companion animals remain a meaningful source of connection and routine, even as cost pressures rise. (ihpi.umich.edu)

The new findings build on a 2018 version of the same poll and show a more complicated picture than a simple increase in attachment. Compared with pet parents ages 50 to 80 in 2018, respondents in 2025 were more likely to say pets give them purpose, 83% versus 73%. At the same time, they were less likely to say pets help them enjoy life, feel loved, reduce stress, support physical activity, maintain a routine, or help them cope with physical or emotional symptoms. Adults without pets were also more likely than in 2018 to cite cost, lack of time, or their own health as barriers to pet ownership. (ihpi.umich.edu)

The poll was conducted online and by phone from September 3 to September 29, 2025, among 2,698 U.S. adults ages 50 to 95, with a reported margin of error of plus or minus 1 to 3 percentage points for full-sample questions. Overall, 55% of adults 50 and older said they have a pet. Among pet parents in that age group, 70% had dogs and 50% had cats. The budget strain was not evenly distributed: women, people with household incomes below $60,000, those reporting fair or poor physical or mental health, and those with a disability limiting daily activities were more likely to say their pets strain the household budget. (ihpi.umich.edu)

University of Michigan researchers framed the results as both a public health and practical care issue. In the report’s implications section, the team said pets can support social connection, purpose, physical activity, and stress reduction, but also require time, flexibility, and financial resources. The authors added that these shifts may reflect broader financial pressures, changes in household composition, and the increasing demands of caring for both aging people and aging pets. They also noted that concern for a pet can become a barrier to an older adult receiving recommended medical care, for example if hospitalization or surgery would leave no one available to care for the animal. (ihpi.umich.edu)

That framing should resonate in veterinary practice. AVMA has urged clinics to have proactive conversations with clients about the cost of care and to offer a spectrum of care, payment plans, and financing tools when feasible. In a separate 2025 message tied to National Pet Week, AVMA also emphasized that older adults are especially likely to recognize the emotional benefits of pet companionship, while reminding pet parents that preventive care can help avoid more expensive treatment later. (avma.org)

There’s also a broader access-to-care backdrop. Human Animal Support Services has argued that financial barriers can push families toward delayed treatment, surrender, or what it describes as economic euthanasia, and has highlighted grant, matching-fund, and community-support models intended to keep pets with their people. While those programs are not specific to older adults, they offer a window into the kinds of supports that may become more relevant as senior pet parents face rising veterinary and related care costs. (humananimalsupportservices.org)

Why it matters: For veterinarians and practice leaders, this is less a story about sentiment than about case management. Older clients may be deeply bonded to their animals, yet increasingly constrained by fixed incomes, disability, transportation issues, caregiving responsibilities, or their own medical needs. That combination can affect adherence, timing of visits, acceptance of diagnostics, and decisions around chronic disease management in senior pets. Clinics that communicate clearly about expected costs, prioritize preventive care, discuss staged treatment plans, and know where to refer clients for temporary financial help may be better positioned to support both patient welfare and client trust. That’s an inference from the poll data and AVMA guidance, but it fits the pattern the sources describe. (ihpi.umich.edu)

What to watch: The next step is whether these findings translate into more formal veterinary access initiatives for older adults, including stronger links between practices, social workers, aging-services organizations, shelters, and charitable care programs; the University of Michigan report itself points toward more routine screening for pets in care planning, and the affordability issue is unlikely to fade quickly. (ihpi.umich.edu)