We know, we know—your fur baby is family. But after hearing this, you might start checking if they’ve been secretly ordering treats off Amazon…
A new study just revealed how much it actually costs to own a pet in 2025, and spoiler alert: it’s way more than you think.
When people were asked how much they thought it costs to own a cat for 15 years, the average guess was $5,735. For a dog? $8,158.
Cute. Also wildly wrong.
🧾 The real cost of cat ownership:👉 $20,000 to $47,000 over their lifetime🐶 The real cost of dog ownership:👉 $22,000 to almost $61,000
And that’s not for some celebrity dog with a TikTok following. We’re talking average vet visits, food, toys, grooming, and—yup—even those random “because I love you” sweaters.
That breaks down to at least $1,300 a year for cats and $1,500 a year for dogs. Even rabbits are running up a tab of over $1,000 annually now. And get this—the cost of owning a dog has jumped 12% in the past three years, and 19% for cats.
Still, 75% of pet owners say their pet is either their child, best friend, or straight-up family.
Honestly, same. Just don’t tell our bank accounts.
