- Owning a pet comes with both upfront and ongoing costs, with dog owners spending an average of $2,520 a year and cat owners about $1,660.
- Unexpected vet bills or other expenses can quickly stack up, so it may be worth considering pet insurance or keeping a financial buffer.
- Remember, a pet is a lifetime commitment - even everyday costs like food can add up to big bickies over time.
The upfront costs of adopting a pet, like the purchase or adoption fee, desexing, and vet bills, can be significant, but there are also ongoing costs. According to Animal Medicines Australia's 2025 Pets in Australia survey, the average dog owner spent $2,520 on their pet over the year to March 2025 while cat owners faced average costs of $1,660.
Further, nearly a third of pet owners report that the ongoing costs were the largest challenge facing them in looking after their furry friends - proving more challenging than cleaning up after them or exercising them regularly.
Here’s our financial breakdown of how much it will cost you to adopt and love that cute four-legged friend.
Savings.com.au’s two cents
Owning a pet can be expensive. Make sure to weigh up all the costs involved before you get all heart-eyed over that adorable sausage dog or bring your furry companion home. In particular, keep in mind that as your pet gets older, you may incur increased costs if your pet develops health issues as it ages. A pet is a lifelong financial and emotional commitment that you should only take on when you’re ready.
How much does it cost to get a dog or a cat?
Adoption and purchase fees
If you’re interested in a pedigree or designer pooch from a licensed breeder, it’s safe to say the initial cost will be big. A purebred puppy or kitten could set you back thousands. If you’ve got slightly more obscure taste in cats and it’s a miniature alien, I mean, a sphynx cat you really want, it will cost you a few grand. And they don’t even have fur.
Another avenue is adoption. Not only is adopting a puppy, kitten, dog, or cat from a shelter or rescue facility typically cheaper than buying one from a breeder, it's also offering a home to a bundle of joy that desperately needs one.
Estimated cost: Potentially less than $500 if you adopt and as much as $6,000+ to buy.
Vet bills
After you’ve purchased or adopted your new bundle of fluff (unless you bought a sphynx cat), your next stop as a responsible pet owner should be the vet. There are two broad categories of vet expenses: One-offs (many of which must be done in the early days of a pet's life) and ongoing costs (regular treatments and checkups).
One-off vet costs
At this point, there are a handful of procedures responsible owners typically choose to do, including desexing, microchipping, and vaccinations. If you adopted your pet from the RSPCA or the likes, these procedures may have already been done.
Estimated cost: Potentially $0 if you adopt, and up to $1,000 if you buy your pet.
There's also potential for one-off (or ongoing) health issues. While all pets can get sick from time-to-time, certain breeds are prone to certain health issues. For instance, large breeds like German Shepherds and Golden Retrievers may be prone to hip dysplasia, while flat‑faced breeds such as Bulldogs, Pugs, and French Bulldogs are more likely to develop breathing difficulties due to shortened airways.
- If you wouldn't be able to meet unexpected vet bills if and when they come around, it might be worth factoring in the cost of pet insurance into your budget. Animal Medicines Australia found the average dog owner paid $145 in pet insurance premiums in the year to March 2025, while the average cat owner forked out $70.
Ongoing vet costs
Even if you own the world's healthiest dog or cat, you'll still need to visit the vet at least once per year to ensure your family member is vaccinated and any preventative treatments are performed. Dogs need protection from kennel cough, heartworm, and distemper, among other things, while cats need to be tested for feline leukemia.
The Animal Medicines Australia's 2025 Pets in Australia survey found the average dog owner spends $168 a year on veterinary services and $102 a year on veterinary medicines, while the average cat owner spends $154 on veterinary services and $45 on veterinary medicines.
Food expenses
The Pets in Australia survey shows the average dog owner spends $1,090 per year on food. Over a typical dog’s lifetime, you’ll probably have to spend $10,900 to $14,170 on food alone over your pet's life (and with luck, much much more).
Cats are a bit cheaper to feed on average, at around $884 a year, but they do tend to live longer than dogs, so the costs may work out to be around the same over their lifetime.
Estimated cost: Upwards of $800 a year.
Council registration fees
Most councils in Australia require you to register your dog with them. Registration fees can range from around $40 to closer to $100 for a de-sexed ‘regular-breed’ dog, while non-desexed dogs or those deemed 'menacing', 'dangerous', or of a 'restricted' breed can command higher fees.
Depending on where you live in Australia, you may have to pay a cat registration fee to your local council. Some states require you to register your cat if it’s over three months old, while others may not require them to be registered at all.
Because the rules vary depending on states, it’s a good idea to double check with your local council.
Estimated cost: Between $50-$500 for dogs and anywhere between $30 and $200 a year for cats.
Accessories
If that isn’t enough, you also have to commit to keeping your new furry friend entertained. Puppies and kittens aren’t going to entertain themselves, so you’ll need to supply them with chew toys, scratching posts, playpens, and collars, not to mention the necessities like food bowls, leashes, and poo bags.
Some people are quite happy to splurge on their pets and spoil them with all kinds of stuffed toys and accessories. But in terms of the bare essentials, you’ll need to cover the following.
| Cat | Dog |
|---|---|
| Scratching post | Dog bed |
| A collar and bell | Leash |
| Tray and litter | Food and water bowls |
| Carry cage and bed | A handful of stuffed toys |
| Toys and treats | A winter coat |
| Name tag | Carry cage (for small breeds) |
Estimated cost: This is one of those areas where the costs can vary wildly depending on how much you want to splurge on your pet, but expect to spend up to $500 to cover the essentials.
Grooming
Because cats are pretty good at grooming themselves, cat owners may not need to stress about the maintenance of their cat as much as dog owners – but they can still benefit from regular grooming. Unless you enjoy having your skin and furniture scratched to bits, your cat’s claws will need to be trimmed regularly.
Dogs usually require a little more TLC in the grooming department, as they can develop health problems from a lack of proper grooming, such as dental disease, matted fur, and dry, flaky skin. Though, short-haired dogs will likely be lower maintenance than their long-haired or poodle counterparts.
The average dog owner spent $139 on grooming over the year to March 2025, while cat owners forked out around $58.
Estimated cost: Upwards of $50 a year.
How to save money on the cost of owning a pet
If these prices are scaring you away from pet ownership, there are some ways you can claw back some of these costs.
Instead of buying your pet from a breeder, consider adopting one from your nearest animal shelter instead. They will often have puppies and kittens up for adoption, as well as adult animals if that’s your preference. Plus, these animals have often already been vaccinated, desexed and wormed, which could save you money on the initial vet fees.
Taking out pet insurance may hurt you in the hip pocket initially, but could provide much-needed cover for any unexpected medical expenses – which could end up saving you money in the long run.
While it may be harder to cut costs on food, you can buy pet food in bulk as the price usually comes down the more you buy.
Keeping your pet healthy and within an appropriate weight range will also help you avoid much bigger bills for preventable, and often expensive, obesity-related health issues down the track.
What are the financing options for your pet?
Pet ownership can lead to all sorts of planned and unplanned expenses that could make a mess of your household budget. If you’ve exhausted your savings, there are a couple of options for funding these expenses you may consider.
Unsecured personal loans
Unsecured personal loans can offer a lump sum of cash without needing to use an asset as security. Because there’s no asset used as security for the loan, the interest rates for these loans tend to be higher than secured loans.
Credit cards
You may also consider putting some unexpected costs on a credit card if you don’t have the funds on hand. But beware, if you don't repay your credit card balance in full by the due date, you'll incur interest on the outstanding debt at what could potentially be a high rate.