It's easy to forget about long-term costs when you first see that fluffy tail and those big eyes. Educate yourself first, choose the right pet or breed, and learn how to reduce the expenses. If you've ever owned a big dog, you know they're expensive to feed. So you might be surprised to know that your petite pussycat, who turns up her delicate nose at every other meal, is likely to cost you more over her lifetime than the typical large dog.
How can that be? Although cats typically eat less than most dogs and usually incur lower vet bills, they tend to live longer.
So while dog ownerships translates into a financial commitment of about $8,000 over the animal's lifetime, the typical cat will set you back more than $10,000.
Lifetime pet costs:
Food* /Medical* / Litter* /Toys and Treats* / License*/ Insurance*
Small dog $55 / $210 / $0 / $40 / $15 / $225
Medium dog $120 / $235 / $0 / $55 / $15 / $225
Large dog $235 / $260 / $0 / $75 / $15 / $225
Cat $115 / $160 / $165 / $25 / $15 / $175
Guinea pig $105 / $70 / $415 / $30 / N/A / $0
Small bird $75 / $85 / $0 / $25 / N/A / $0
Fish $20 / $0 / $0 / $0 / N/A / $0
Rabbit $190 / $70 / $415 / $40 / N/A / $0
Misc*/ Annual expense/ Life span(yrs)/ Setup costs/Lifetime expense
Small dog $35 / $580 / 13 / $470 / $8,010
Medium dog $35 / $695 / 11 / $565 / $8,210
Large dog $45 / $875 / 9 / $560 / $8,435
Cat $30 / $670 / 15 / $365 / $10,415
Guinea pig $15 / $635 / 4 / $40 / $2,580
Small bird $15 / $200 / 15 / $70 / $3,070
Fish $15 / $35 / 5 / $200 / $375
Rabbit $15 / $730 / 10 / $325 / $7,625
*Annual expenses
