My dog passed in July (old age, she was 17) and her vet bills were about the same the last few years of her life. Also high cost of living area. My husband and I ended up adopting another cat (we had two already) a few weeks ago and they all have a vet appointment tomorrow and I know it won’t be cheap. But that’s just the way it is. We can afford it and would never have adopted another cat if we couldn’t.