A pet comes with more than daily caretaking responsibilities. Unfortunately, it also comes with financial responsibilities.
Rover — a website for finding pet sitters and dog walkers — surveyed 1,000 pet owners on the price tag of dog and cat parenthood in 2025. Rover found that 43% of dog owners are worried about rising costs of care, and 49% of cat owners say the same.
But what costs have pet parents on edge?
Dog costs
Rover reports that dog parents can expect their pet spending to increase by 7% in 2025. For comparison, the cost-of-living adjustment for Social Security recipients for 2025 is 2.5%. So pet care costs are surpassing what the government deems an essential income increase.
The upfront costs of bringing a dog into your home — including adoption fees, vaccinations, gear and more — range from $1,150 to $4,420. Despite the rise in overall care costs, the upfront costs are 8% lower than in 2024.
The annual cost of care ranges from $1,390 to $5,295, depending on the size and breed of the dog.
You can break that down into monthly expenses to help plan your budget. For a medium-sized dog, that’s $120 to $435 on average.
Diet and health take up the majority of a pet parent’s monthly budget, making up 40% of the costs. That includes food, treats and chews. Medical costs make up 15% of the budget, as do services like boarding and walking.
Grooming care takes 5% of the monthly budget, and gear eats up 7%. Miscellaneous costs — which Rover describes as emergency services or other items — take up 18% of the budget.
Looking at it from a lifetime perspective, the cost of care can range from $16,440 for a small breed to $52,075 for a large breed, and care for a medium-sized breed ranges from $29,500 to $33,700. Chronic health conditions can raise these costs.
Cat costs
Cat owners are worse off than dog owners, as their costs are expected to rise by 10% in 2025.
The upfront costs for bringing a cat home are lower, though, ranging from $765 to $2,715. And cat owners can expect to spend anywhere from $830 to $3,095 per year.
Costs for care over a cat’s lifetime range from $10,725 to $61,520.
Cat parents tell Rover that the major deciding factors when adopting are the size and lifespan of a cat. On average, cats live for 12 to 18 years, and some live up to 20 years. The breed is less of a factor for cat owners than dog owners.
Looking at it from a monthly perspective, a medium-sized cat costs $70 to $260 on average.
Breaking that down, diet and health needs make up 44% of the monthly cat-care budget. A quarter of the monthly budget goes toward medical costs, and 24% goes toward miscellaneous needs, such as dental care and emergency vet visits. Gear (like toys and litter) claims 4%, pet services 2% and grooming 1%.
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