Older adults rely on pets more, even as costs bite harder

A new University of Michigan National Poll on Healthy Aging suggests pets are playing an even bigger emotional role in the lives of older adults, even as affordability becomes a sharper concern. Among U.S. adults ages 50 to 80 who have pets, 83% said their animals give them a sense of purpose, up from 73% in 2018. But 31% said pet care strains their budget, up from 18% seven years earlier, and 33% of older adults without pets said cost is a main reason they don't have one. The February 2026 poll, based on a nationally representative survey conducted in September 2025, also found 70% of older pet parents said pets connect them with others, 63% said pets reduce stress, and 44% said pets help them stay physically active. (medschool.umich.edu)

Why it matters: For veterinary professionals, the findings reinforce a familiar tension: the human-animal bond remains strong, but cost is increasingly shaping care decisions, adoption decisions, and whether older clients can keep pets at all. That lines up with broader access-to-care signals across the profession. In a January 2026 PetSmart Charities-Gallup survey, 94% of veterinarians said clients’ financial considerations sometimes or often limit recommended care, and AAHA’s 2024 Community Care Guidelines argue that financial barriers are the most commonly cited obstacle to veterinary access and a source of moral distress for care teams. (petsmartcharities.org)

What to watch: Expect more discussion around spectrum-of-care models, upfront financial conversations, and referral pathways that help older pet parents preserve the bond while staying within budget. (petsmartcharities.org)