For many animal lovers it's natural to want a pet of your own once you are able to house and afford one. I've always been a cat person, so it was only a matter of time before I found a feline friend.

I adopted the adorable Bill the cat (her cuteness has been previously displayed on this blog) about a year and a half ago. And what a ride it's been.

Let me preface by saying that I love my cat very much. She's been a fabulous, constantly purring companion during some difficult times, and she's always good for a laugh with her random kookiness .

However, Bill has put an interesting spin on my financials! I knew that getting a cat meant funding trips to the vet, food, litter, etc. However, I did not bargain for the expenses of her multiple "issues."

Soon after I adopted Bill, she started biting and scratching herself. I mean ferocious, violent scratching to the point of losing her fur and breaking the skin. I'll spare you the gore-filled details. At the time, I thought it'd be a trip to the vet and things would be smooth sailing again. Well, a couple vets and multiple rounds of trial and error later, the issues are subdued with medication.

But to be honest, the cause of this is still a little fuzzy. It's likely a combination of allergies and anxiety. At the other end of the spectrum from fuzzy, the additional costs are very clear. Thanks to My Spending Report through Wells Fargo Online® I can see that during 2007, my Pet/Veterinary category totals $788.40. Yeesh!

That grand total includes:

• Declawing to prevent her from physically harming herself

• Limited-diet food  (yummy) since she's allergic to the proteins in most cat food

• Monthly steroid shots to keep allergies at bay

• Daily anti-inflammatory medication

• Some animal hoodies (go ahead, I'd groan, too) so she doesn't bite at her sides

• A pheromone plug-in  to keep her relaxed in her environment

Clearly, Bill is an extreme case of pet expenses blowing up in your face. But the point of my tale is this: Animals are one of those variable expenses. You never know what could happen that could end up costing you a pretty penny. Luckily, I could swing a few extra pet expenses. If your finances aren't that flexible, perhaps you could consider a nice house plant! :)

Have any of your variable expenses (pet or otherwise) ballooned into bills like Bill's?