KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 11 — Most Malaysian pet owners regard their animals as family, but nearly two-thirds have no dedicated savings, fund or insurance to cover their needs or emergencies, according to a new survey.
The Paws & Pockets Survey by Malaysian digital wealth platform Versa found that 91 per cent of pet owners considered their pets part of the family, while 63 per cent had no dedicated financial buffer for them. The in-app survey polled 10,055 respondents between July and August, including 4,872 pet owners.
“Calling your pet family costs nothing. Being ready for their first emergency does — and right now, only 37 per cent of Malaysian pet owners actually are,” Versa chief executive officer and co-founder Teoh Wei Xiang said.
The survey found that 66 per cent of pet owners had faced an unexpected veterinary bill, with about one in 13 paying more than RM2,000 for a single incident.
When faced with their most recent veterinary emergency, 82 per cent said they drew on personal savings, compared with 15 per cent who used a dedicated pet fund and 3 per cent who had pet insurance.
The financial burden also affected owners’ everyday spending, with 65 per cent saying they had cut back on their own expenses to cover pet-related costs.
Women appeared to face a heavier burden, with 11 per cent of female pet owners reporting a veterinary bill exceeding RM2,000, compared with 6 per cent of men.
The survey also found female owners were less likely to have a dedicated pet fund despite reporting higher spending on their pets and being more likely to cut their own expenditure to meet pet-related costs.
Nearly three in 10 respondents with pets were caring for at least three animals, while cats outnumbered dogs by about two to one among the pet-owning households surveyed.
Versa said the findings were based on self-reported responses.
It added that because the survey was conducted among users of its app rather than a nationally representative sample, the results may not reflect the experiences of all Malaysian pet owners.
