Interesting, albeit sad, thread. As my cats enter the geriatric phase of their lives, they have gotten to be a bigger slice of the budget (somedays I think that they eat more $/day than I do).

For me, it isn't currently a problem, but the other day I was wondering what happens if you've been on a fixed income, your pet is getting older and requiring special food. Can you afford it? Yet, knowing the importance of pets, can you not? It is a sad side of the economic times. Very sad.