How Much Pets Cost and How To Save

Whether you already have a pet or are looking to add to the family, knowing how much pets cost can help you prepare to give them a healthy and happy life. The average cost of owning a dog can range from about $1,400 – $5,300 per year, while the average cost of owning a cat can range from about $850 – $3,100 per year.^1,2

But every pet is different and the cost of living has increased for people and pets alike. According to a Talker Research study for MetLife Pet, cat and dog owners spent $2,360 on average for their pet’s care in 2025, an over 13% increase from 2024. And 37% of those pet parents anticipate spending even more in 2026.³

Pet insurance can help you manage the costs of pet care, plan for emergencies or chronic conditions, and make certain vet care more financially accessible. But before you make any changes to your spending habits, or purchase a policy, let’s take an in-depth look at the kinds of expenses that come with having a pet. 

A Closer Look at the Cost of Pet Ownership

We may not be able to predict exactly what care dogs and cats will need throughout their life, but there are some common expenses most owners experience. From the cost of bringing a pet home and their initial vet care to annual medical care and living expenses, we’ll break it all down and then explore ways you can make costs easier to plan and pay for.

Buying a cat or dog

Many people pay a fee for their pets, and breeders provide options to people looking for specific dog or cat breeds or mixes. This route often comes with the largest price tag — up to nearly $4,800 for dogs or $1,000 for cats.^1,2

Costs can be heavily dependent on the breed, family line, demand, and rare qualities of the specific dog or cat. Breeders may not include vaccinations or spay/neuter procedures in their fee, which could mean spending even more to bring your new pet home.¹

Adopting a cat or dog

Adopting an animal can be more financially accessible than purchasing a pet from a breeder. Adopting a dog from the shelter may cost $30 – $455, and adopting a cat may cost $30 – $125.^1,2 These fees often include the cost of vaccines, microchipping, spaying/neutering, and initial medical care, which could help you save on veterinary bills up front.

Initial medical costs

Depending on where you get your pet, you may need to pay out-of-pocket for initial vet care. If you adopted your cat or dog from a rescue or shelter, these expenses are often included in the adoption fee. If they’re not included, let’s look at the average costs so you can plan ahead.

Wellness and preventative care

Routine vet exams help keep your pet healthy and provide a chance for vets to spot potentially serious health conditions before they progress unnoticed. More than a third of the pet parents surveyed stated that preventative care was critical to catching health concerns early, thanks to taking their pets in for regular check-ups.³

Other preventative care — such as vaccinations, parasite prevention meds, and teeth cleanings — helps ensure your pet is staying healthy year-round. Teeth cleanings may not be necessary every year, so keep that in mind when budgeting for these costs.

Some dogs and cats may also need regular professional grooming to keep them healthy and comfortable, which could cost up to $975 for dogs and $620 for cats, annually.^1,2

Food and treats

Food tends to be one of the highest annual expenses for both cats and dogs.^1,2 Nearly half of the pet parents surveyed stated that they purchase high-quality food to help ensure their pet’s wellness over time.³ Treats are an optional expense, but they can be useful for training, enrichment, or just making your pet’s life that much better.

On average, owners spend $655 – $1,905 per year on dog food and $50 – $730 on dog treats and chews.¹ Cat food and treats come out to $240 – $1,980, combined.²

These costs can, of course, fluctuate depending on how many pets you have, their size, their age, or if you have a pet on a special diet.

Toys and supplies

Dog parents spend an average of $20 – $100 per year on toys.¹ This is another expense that can vary dramatically depending on the behavior of your pup. You might expect to spend more if they love to destroy toys and go through them quickly.

To enrich your cat’s daily life, toys, scratching posts, and cat trees can be beneficial. Budgets can vary based on how often you need to replace toys, but $10 – $80 annually could be a good starting point, with $20 – $560 for cat trees.²

Essential pet supplies can differ between cats and dogs. Cats require litter boxes and a year’s supply of litter. The box itself is a relatively low one-time cost, starting at about $5. However, litter comes in at around $180 – $485 per year.² Dogs typically need a leash, collar, and poop bags, so plan to budget for around $65 – $205 annually, although dogs may not need a new leash and collar every year.¹

Other potential pet costs

Depending on what your pet needs and what you have the budget for, some other expenses you might plan for throughout their life include:

• Beds or blankets
• Food and water bowls
• Clothes and boots
• At-home grooming supplies
• Carriers, crates, gates, or pens
• Pet rent or security deposits
• Pet daycare, pet sitting, or boarding
• Training

Prioritizing what’s best for or unique to your pet can help you decide which items you can skip, splurge on, or shop around for.

How Are Pet Parents Handling the Cost of Pet Ownership?

According to a Fractl study for MetLife Pet, 15% of pet parents surveyed struggle to meet their own basic needs and those of their pet. Emergency vet visits, pet surgeries, diagnostic testing, and pet prescription medication are cited as the most common expenses that pushed dog and cat owners into debt.⁵

However, 65% of the pet owners from the Talker Research study said they have made cuts to their own lifestyle before disrupting their pets’, and 48% have a specific budget just for their pet.³ Pet parents in the Fractl study named the main areas where they make cuts or take action to provide for their pets, including:⁵

• Skipping eating out
• Giving up self-care or hobbies
• Not traveling
• Taking on extra work or a side job
• Delaying debt payments
• Pausing saving for retirement or emergencies

While delaying debt payments or pausing savings can have additional financial consequences, taking stock of your personal budget and lifestyle could help you identify expenses you might cut down on to make rising pet care costs easier to manage.

How To Lower the Cost of Owning a Pet

Budgets can help in planning for pet care costs, but what about lowering costs altogether? There are other strategies you can use to reduce pet expenses, like:⁶

• Comparing prices on prescriptions
• Seeking lower-cost vet clinics or financial support programs
• Asking your vet for a payment plan
• Crowdfunding for vet bills
• Getting pet insurance

The cost of veterinary care — including unexpected or emergency vet visits — is one of the largest portions of a pet expense budget after food.^1,2 This can be a motivating factor to save on vet bills as much as possible, especially when 22% of pet parents from the Talker Research study said their pet underwent a major unexpected health event in 2025.³

An emergency vet visit could cost up to $1,750 or more.^1,2 But if anything additional is needed, like diagnostics or emergency surgery, you could be looking at bills of $5,000 and higher.⁷ MetLife Pet dog insurance and cat insurance plans could help you reduce the financial impact of these kinds of costs — and start as low as $7 per month for a cat and $16 per month for a dog.⁸

MetLife Pet policies can help you save money on pet care expenses by reimbursing you up to 90% of covered costs.⁹ Having coverage can also provide a safety net for your budget when unexpected expenses pop up, as well as help you manage future chronic condition care costs for things like hip dysplasia, diabetes, cancer, or allergies.

MetLife Pet offers coverage for a wide range of expenses related to new accidents and illnesses, and has paid out thousands of dollars to pet parents across the country. 

In addition to providing coverage for unexpected vet bills, MetLife Pet Insurance can help you cover the cost of routine care — from routine exam fees and health screens to vaccinations and teeth cleaning — with optional Preventive Care.

See exactly how MetLife Pet Insurance can work for your lifestyle and budget to help you manage the cost of owning a pet. Start your research with a free quote now.