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

Pets are playing an even bigger emotional role in the lives of older Americans, but paying for their care is getting harder. That’s the core finding from the University of Michigan’s latest National Poll on Healthy Aging, released in February 2026, which shows 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 share reporting financial strain has risen sharply since the poll last examined the issue in 2018. (ihpi.umich.edu)

The new report updates a topic the poll first explored seven years earlier. While overall pet ownership among adults 50 and older has stayed relatively stable, 55% in 2025 versus 55% to 57% depending on the comparison frame, perceptions have shifted. Compared with adults age 50 to 80 surveyed in 2018, older pet parents in 2025 were more likely to say pets give them purpose, but less likely to say pets help them enjoy life, feel loved, or reduce stress. The survey also expanded beyond age 80 this time, capturing adults up to age 95. (ihpi.umich.edu)

The details help explain the tension. Among pet parents age 50 and older, 70% said pets connect them with others, 63% said pets reduce stress, 44% said pets help them stay physically active, and 44% said pets help them stick to a routine. Dogs and cats remain the dominant species, reported by 70% and 50% of older pet parents, respectively. But cost is increasingly shaping both retention and acquisition: 33% of adults over 50 without pets said cost is a main reason they do not have one, behind only not wanting to be tied down and simply choosing not to have a pet. (ihpi.umich.edu)

The financial pressure is not evenly distributed. In the Michigan poll, budget strain was more likely among women, respondents with annual household incomes below $60,000, those in fair or poor physical or mental health, and people with disabilities that limit daily activities. Michigan respondents appeared even more affected than the national sample, with 38% of Michiganders age 50 and older with pets saying their animals strain the household budget, versus 31% in the rest of the U.S. (ihpi.umich.edu)

University of Michigan geriatrician Preeti Malani said the paired polls show that animals “can play a key role in the lives of older adults” while also underscoring that some people who could benefit most may face the biggest cost-related barriers. That broader affordability picture is echoed elsewhere in the profession. In January 2026, PetSmart Charities and Gallup reported that 94% of veterinarians say clients’ financial considerations limit their ability to provide recommended care at least sometimes. Gallup also said 81% of veterinarians report they often or always recommend an alternative treatment plan when care is declined because of cost, but earlier companion pet parent data found 73% of clients who declined care due to affordability said they were not offered a more financially accessible option. (ihpi.umich.edu)

Why it matters: For veterinary teams, this is less a lifestyle story than a care-access story. Older clients may be highly bonded, highly motivated, and also financially fragile. When pets are tied to purpose, companionship, and routine, delayed care or treatment refusal can carry emotional consequences for both the animal and the household. The findings suggest practices serving large senior populations may need to get more deliberate about preventive planning, transparent estimates, phased diagnostics, and spectrum-of-care conversations that respect both the medical need and the client’s limits. AAHA and AVMA-linked communication resources have increasingly emphasized that cost conversations work better when teams address affordability directly and frame recommendations around the pet’s needs and the client’s practical reality. (aaha.org)

The poll also lands amid broader economic pressure in pet care. Industry reporting in early 2026 described continuing inflation and elevated veterinary service costs, with pressure falling hardest on lower- and moderate-income households. That context helps explain why older adults may be reporting stronger attachment to pets at the same time they are more likely to feel financially stretched by them. (petfoodindustry.com)

What to watch: The next question is whether practices, nonprofits, and industry groups turn these signals into concrete access strategies, especially for older pet parents on fixed incomes. Watch for more emphasis on payment options, lower-cost alternatives, community care models, and communication training, as well as whether future polling shows affordability pressures easing or continuing to widen. (gallup.com)