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They say that a dog is man's best friend. And, as the proud owner of a mini dachshund named Finnegan, I can't disagree.
2019-10-09
However, it's undeniable that owning and caring for any pet can be an endless chain of expenses, from the expected, like food, shots, and grooming, to the unexpected, like medical and dental issues. But what does that all add up to over the course of a year — or a lifetime?
We decided to take a look at the average cost of raising different pets today. We're not talking exotic animals like chimps or lions. These are the mainstream household pets that will do the most damage to your wallet, costing $300 or more per year.
Here is a list of 12 common household pets and the yearly costs that you can accrue raising them. Note that this list only factors in annual costs, and not one-time expenses like training classes, spaying and neutering, and cages or aquariums, or the cost of the animals themselves.
Although dogs are popular, they're some of the most expensive animals to own as pets. A large dog will cost about $1,040.31 a year, according to the ASPCA.
Obviously, due to their smaller size — and, thus, lesser food consumption — medium dogs don't cost quite as much, coming in at $894 in expenses annually, according to the ASPCA.
You might think a feline friend would be less expensive than a dog, but the average kitty costs just a bit less than a medium dog, at $809 per year, according to the ASPCA.
Considering there are more than 10,000 reptile species in the world, it shouldn't be surprising that the cost of owning one ranges quite a bit, too, totaling anywhere from $330 to $1,310 annually, according to Kiplinger.
A cute and fuzzy rabbit is an irresistible choice for many pet owners, but the cost of owning one is a little less appealing. It will set you back about $477.80 a year, according to the ASPCA.
Ferrets aren't the most common pets. And maybe that’s due to the fact that their care and upkeep costs an average of $573.80 annually, according to the ASPCA.
Brianna Soukup/Portland Portland Press Herald via Getty Images
Horses may not be "everyday" pets, but they’re popular enough in the US that we decided to check out their average expenses. It costs about $3,876 yearly to own a horse, according to a horse-ownership survey from the University of Maine.
A small bird doesn't necessarily equal a small expense. Being a bird owner will require about $317 per year in care and upkeep, according to the ASPCA.
They may be prickly, but hedgehogs have a certain cachet. Owning one of these little creatures costs about $218 to $417 annually, according to Hamor Hollow, a hedgehog breeder and rescue.
Chelsea Greenwood is a contributing writer for Business Insider and INSIDER and an award-winning lifestyle writer and editor based in South Florida. After earning her magazine journalism degree from the University of Florida, she served as a staff editor at several local and national print publications. Her work has been featured byTeen Vogue, Yahoo Lifestyle, Fodor's Travel, Racked, Luxe Interiors + Design, TheSaturdayEvening Post,xoVain,and more. She's also a Ravenclaw, a Chicago native, and a wiener dog mama.
