Pet Cats in Mexico City

[JOCUK]

Originally Posted by conklinwh

I'm sure that vets more expensive in DF but bills where we live are only a small fraction of the US. Think that you will have much better luck in DF than I have finding specialty cat food but ours adapted rather than starve.
BTW, I though of you as there is commercial of woman and cat moving from Oregon where indoor/outdoor cat to New York City where only indoor cat. Net is that they survived after some initial trauma for both. Reason given of course was ability to buy cat food made for indoor cats.

Love it! Lets hope they're not lying for the sake of selling cat food....as if they would
I would imagine that the US is much cheaper than the UK in any case so that sounds positive

[JOCUK]

Originally Posted by maesonna

I don’t have a cat, but I imagine my dog health care prices will give you an idea. Quintuple doggie disease vaccination: 200 pesos. Rabies vaccination: about 100 pesos, but free if you take your pet to the public anti-rabies campaign held two or three times a year.

If the dog is sick, the vet usually just charges me for the medicine if he has it on hand; 100 to 200 pesos. Otherwise, if I have to go get the medicine elsewhere, the consult is about 100 pesos.

The last time I had a dog spayed, it was 700 pesos, but it has probably gone up by now; the vet said the cost of anesthetic was increasing.

Wow definately cheaper - dog prices are usually more expensive than cat prices anyway. An operation could cost £5000+ here - hence the need for pet insurance...Sounds like savings could cover any major op in Mexico which is good to know

[conklinwh]

What is more expensive in Mexico, at least compared to the US, is the topical monthly doses for fleas, ticks, etc. I tend to order via Petmeds and have shipped to somewhere that I can drive in. A years supply for one cat, twelve doses, is only a single box on line.

[dpebbles]

We found a stray kitten and took her in. She lives out in our maid's quarters since my oldest is allergic. There are so many stray dogs roaming about that there is no way I would allow her to roam ANYTIME. We have 2 cats that climb onto the top of our walls around our house and sit there all night meowing....fairly certain they want at our kitty. She hasn't been spayed yet but will be the second she is old enough.
I once saw a group of boys out on the golf course throwing rocks at a stray dog out there...and when we found our kitty someone had put a huge plastic thing around her neck....she was living in the lot for sale next to our home.
It is a lot cheaper for a trip to the vet here. It's usually only about the equivalent of $25 American whenever we take her in for shots.

[mickisue1]

Originally Posted by JOCUK

Love it! Lets hope they're not lying for the sake of selling cat food....as if they would
I would imagine that the US is much cheaper than the UK in any case so that sounds positive

US, not cheap, at all. Veterinarians can be extraordinarily expensive, and as more people begin to think of their pets as family members, for whom extraordinary measures are justified to keep them around when ill or injured, the costs have gone up accordingly.

An office visit with some antibiotics for a kitty with a bladder infection was $200, and that was 2 years ago. That's $200 US, not pesos!

[conklinwh]

I don't think anyone saying that the US is cheap and certainly many times more than Mexico.
The comment was really US relative to the UK. My experience is that most things in the UK more expensive, especially with the dollar/pound conversion. I also don't think that any group is more attached to their pets than the Brits.

[ExpatPumpkin]

Originally Posted by conklinwh

I don't think anyone saying that the US is cheap and certainly many times more than Mexico.
The comment was really US relative to the UK. My experience is that most things in the UK more expensive, especially with the dollar/pound conversion. I also don't think that any group is more attached to their pets than the Brits.

Having lived in the US, Mexico, and the UK with my dog (in that order), I've experienced the following:

- Mexico is comparatively quite cheap when it comes to vet care. My little guy had a lump removal with full anesthesia and a dental cleaning there for about 400USD. This included a night in the hospital and the aftercare. (Same procedure would have cost me thousands of USD/GBP in the States/UK.) Routine visits in Mexico would run me about 20USD.

- The US and the UK are much more expensive than Mexico. Thankfully, he hasn't had any expensive treatments in either county aside from a dental cleaning in the US (400USD). Routine visits in each country seem to run about 75USD/GBP, respectively.

- The US and the UK are about on par, cost-wise. I suppose you could argue that the bills are higher in the UK due to the exchange rate, but if you're living in the UK and earning/spending pounds, a pound is a pound. The exchange rate doesn't come into play if dealing in pounds is your usual currency.

In a nutshell, vet bills in Mexico are much cheaper than both the US and the UK

[mickisue1]

Originally Posted by ExpatPumpkin

- The US and the UK are about on par, cost-wise. I suppose you could argue that the bills are higher in the UK due to the exchange rate, but if you're living in the UK and earning/spending pounds, a pound is a pound. The exchange rate doesn't come into play if dealing in pounds is your usual currency.

That's my experience, too. No matter what your currency, if that's what you get paid in, it's on a par for you.

People in the UK who come to the US feel more wealthy, because of the exchange rate. Same for euros. But if you get paid in dollars, the cost is, as you say, equivalent.

[JOCUK]

Good points regarding exchange rate just me being dozy!
I remember when we used to feel wealthy in euro zone countries too-those days are gone sadly!
At least vet bills are not something we will have to worry about in Mexico by the sounds of it-good to know
Thanks all...

[JoanneR2]

Originally Posted by JOCUK

Good points regarding exchange rate just me being dozy!
I remember when we used to feel wealthy in euro zone countries too-those days are gone sadly!
At least vet bills are not something we will have to worry about in Mexico by the sounds of it-good to know
Thanks all...

Do let me know how it all goes with th emote and the cats. My cat is being shipped over early in September and I must admit to being a bit worried about it. I don't have a problem with keeping her inside as she has never been very keen on going out anyway but I am worried that she'll take a flying leap off the balcony at some point and we are 4 stories up (she isn't the brightest animal I have ever owned). Still, like you, not bringing her just isn't an option. I have checked around and, where I live at least (La Condesa), getting hold of cat food such as Whiskas isn't a problem. The area is full of people with pets, especially dogs and there is no shortage of pet shops locally. Just hop she can get used to the very fancy litter trays with cat flaps and covers. Much posher than anything she has encountered back in the UK. All the best with the move. J