Older adults rely on pets, but costs are becoming a barrier

Pets are still a major source of meaning for older adults, but the financial side of that relationship is getting harder to manage. In the University of Michigan’s latest National Poll on Healthy Aging, 83% of pet parents age 50 and older said their pets give them a sense of purpose, while 31% said pet care strains their budget. That budget-strain figure is up sharply from 18% in 2018, suggesting that the emotional value of pets is holding strong even as affordability worsens. (ihpi.umich.edu)

The new report updates a topic the poll last examined seven years earlier. The September 2025 survey included 2,698 adults ages 50 to 95 and was fielded online and by phone by NORC at the University of Chicago for the University of Michigan Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation. For trend comparisons, the researchers limited analysis to adults ages 50 to 80, because that was the age range used in 2018. Pet ownership itself was relatively stable across the two time points, 57% in 2025 versus 55% in 2018 among adults 50 to 80, which makes the shift in perceived financial strain more notable. (ihpi.umich.edu)

The topline numbers show a mixed picture. Among adults 50 and older who have pets, 71% said pets help them enjoy life, 70% said pets connect them with others, 64% said pets make them feel loved, and 63% said pets reduce stress. But compared with 2018, fewer respondents said pets help them enjoy life, feel loved, reduce stress, stay physically active, stick to a routine, or cope with physical or emotional symptoms. At the same time, cost barriers appear to be rising not only for current pet parents, but also for people deciding against pet companionship: 33% of older adults without pets cited cost as a reason, up from 21% in 2018. (ihpi.umich.edu)

University of Michigan leaders framed the findings as both encouraging and cautionary. Preeti Malani, M.D., who directed the earlier poll and now advises the research team, said the two surveys show that animals can play “a key role” in older adults’ lives, while also noting that some of the people who may benefit most are also those facing cost-related barriers. Poll director Jeffrey Kullgren, M.D., M.P.H., M.S., said health care providers should ask about patients’ relationships with pets, including whether they have support for pet care during a hospitalization and how they might be affected by pet loss. Those comments come from a human health context, but they map closely to issues veterinary teams already navigate every day. (ihpi.umich.edu)

Industry data suggest this is not an isolated signal. In February 2026, PetSmart Charities and Gallup reported that 94% of veterinarians said clients’ financial considerations sometimes or often limit their ability to provide recommended care. Trade coverage has also highlighted a wider gap between veterinary price growth and what pet parents feel able to absorb, alongside declining visit volume in some settings. Taken together, those patterns help explain why older clients may be especially vulnerable when fixed incomes, chronic health issues, transportation constraints, and attachment to a pet all intersect. (petsmartcharities.org)

Why it matters: For veterinary professionals, this story is less about sentiment than about access. Older pet parents may be highly motivated to maintain care because their animals provide routine, companionship, and purpose, but motivation doesn’t erase budget limits. Practices that serve a large senior client base may need to sharpen how they present estimates, distinguish must-do care from nice-to-have care, discuss preventive planning earlier, and identify support options before cases become urgent. The poll also suggests that financial strain is not evenly distributed, with greater burden reported by women, households earning under $60,000, people in fair or poor health, and those with disabilities, all groups that may need more tailored communication and care navigation. (ihpi.umich.edu)

What to watch: The next question is whether veterinary teams, welfare groups, and policymakers respond with more practical affordability tools, such as clearer phased-care pathways, stronger charitable support, or programs aimed at helping older adults keep pets in the home. If economic pressure persists, this kind of survey data could become part of a larger conversation about access to veterinary care, healthy aging, and the role of pets in household well-being. (ihpi.umich.edu)