Making the decision to get a pet is never one that should be taken lightly. From goldfish to horses, pets are an investment, and could end up costing you a lot more than you might think in the long run.
Many of us had at least one pet when we were kids, and thankfully our parents were the ones who spent the money on them. Once we get older and decide to get a dog or cat or whatever of our own, it can come as a major shock when the bills start to pile up. (For instance, here’s the true cost of having a cat.)
Even if you buy a small pet, like a hamster or guinea pig, or choose to adopt a dog or cat instead of paying a breeder, pets can cost you a lot more money in the long run than you may expect. Pets need to be fed. They need a place to sleep and toys to play with. They need to be insured, and even with insurance they can rack up medical bills, especially once they get older. And, of course, they deserve to be spoiled every once in a while. (Considering a number of factors, these are America’s best and worst states for pets.)
Click here to see the 15 pets that can cost you the most
To compile a list of the pets that cost the most for their owners, 24/7 Tempo reviewed a Pet Price Guide, created by All About Cats, a guide on cat-related products and health issues. The following ranking is based on recurring costs owners can expect to incur such as food, insurance, and visits to the veterinarian. The total lifetime cost is the total annual cost multiplied by the average lifespan of each pet. Pets are ranked according to the highest amount an owner can expect to spend over the animal’s life, from least to most.
15. Goldfish
> Monthly insurance cost: None
> Monthly health care cost: None
> Monthly food expenses: From $10 to $30
> Monthly toy expenses: From $0 to $0
> Monthly maintenance cost: From $10 to $20
> Annual costs: From $20 to $50
> Total lifetime cost: From $200 to $500
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14. Rat
> Monthly insurance cost: From $150 to $250
> Monthly health care cost: From $0 to $150
> Monthly food expenses: From $60 to $120
> Monthly toy expenses: From $0 to $20
> Monthly maintenance cost: From $120 to $200
> Annual costs: From $330 to $740
> Total lifetime cost: From $660 to $1,480
13. Hamster
> Monthly insurance cost: From $120 to $180
> Monthly health care cost: From $0 to $300
> Monthly food expenses: From $50 to $80
> Monthly toy expenses: From $0 to $50
> Monthly maintenance cost: From $220 to $220
> Annual costs: From $390 to $830
> Total lifetime cost: From $1,170 to $2,490
12. Ferret
> Monthly insurance cost: From $0 to $0
> Monthly health care cost: From $0 to $300
> Monthly food expenses: From $50 to $100
> Monthly toy expenses: From $0 to $50
> Monthly maintenance cost: From $35 to $50
> Annual costs: From $85 to $500
> Total lifetime cost: From $765 to $4,500
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11. Chicken
> Monthly insurance cost: From $0 to $0
> Monthly health care cost: From $0 to $300
> Monthly food expenses: From $50 to $60
> Monthly toy expenses: From $0 to $0
> Monthly maintenance cost: From $50 to $100
> Annual costs: From $100 to $460
> Total lifetime cost: From $1,000 to $4,600
10. Snake
> Monthly insurance cost: From $100 to $110
> Monthly health care cost: From $0 to $300
> Monthly food expenses: From $120 to $240
> Monthly toy expenses: From $0 to $0
> Monthly maintenance cost: From $70 to $200
> Annual costs: From $290 to $850
> Total lifetime cost: From $2,610 to $7,650
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9. Cockatiel
> Monthly insurance cost: From $100 to $1,000
> Monthly health care cost: From $0 to $50
> Monthly food expenses: From $120 to $240
> Monthly toy expenses: From $0 to $240
> Monthly maintenance cost: From $15 to $25
> Annual costs: From $235 to $1,555
> Total lifetime cost: From $1,880 to $12,440
8. Leopard Gecko
> Monthly insurance cost: From $100 to $110
> Monthly health care cost: From $0 to $200
> Monthly food expenses: From $120 to $240
> Monthly toy expenses: From $0 to $10
> Monthly maintenance cost: From $70 to $180
> Annual costs: From $290 to $740
> Total lifetime cost: From $5,800 to $14,800
7. Guinea Pig
> Monthly insurance cost: From $50 to $200
> Monthly health care cost: From $0 to $1,000
> Monthly food expenses: From $100 to $500
> Monthly toy expenses: From $0 to $100
> Monthly maintenance cost: From $50 to $200
> Annual costs: From $200 to $2,000
> Total lifetime cost: From $1,600 to $16,000
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6. Rabbit
>Monthly insurance cost: From $240 to $500
> Monthly health care cost: From $0 to $50
> Monthly food expenses: From $300 to $600
> Monthly toy expenses: From $0 to $50
> Monthly maintenance cost: From $300 to $800
> Annual costs: From $840 to $2,000
> Total lifetime cost: From $8,400 to $20,000
5. Parakeet
> Monthly insurance cost: From $84 to $480
> Monthly health care cost: From $0 to $600
> Monthly food expenses: From $120 to $360
> Monthly toy expenses: From $0 to $30
> Monthly maintenance cost: From $120 to $300
> Annual costs: From $324 to $1,770
> Total lifetime cost: From $4,536 to $24,780
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4. Bearded Dragon
> Monthly insurance cost: From $100 to $110
> Monthly health care cost: From $0 to $1,000
> Monthly food expenses: From $265 to $876
> Monthly toy expenses: From $0 to $0
> Monthly maintenance cost: From $25 to $30
> Annual costs: From $390 to $2,016
> Total lifetime cost: From $5,850 to $30,240
3. Cat
> Monthly insurance cost: From $120 to $360
> Monthly health care cost: From $0 to $360
> Monthly food expenses: From $360 to $1,080
> Monthly toy expenses: From $0 to $600
> Monthly maintenance cost: From $0 to $25
> Annual costs: From $480 to $2,425
> Total lifetime cost: From $6,720 to $33,950
2. Dog
> Monthly insurance cost: From $120 to $1200
> Monthly health care cost: From $0 to $300
> Monthly food expenses: From $240 to $1,200
> Monthly toy expenses: From $0 to $1200
> Monthly maintenance cost: From $0 to $25
> Annual costs: From $360 to $3,925
> Total lifetime cost: From $5,040 to $54,950
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1. Horse
> Monthly insurance cost: From $300 to $12000
> Monthly health care cost: From $0 to $1215
> Monthly food expenses: From $1,800 to $4,200
> Monthly toy expenses: From $0 to $0
> Monthly maintenance cost: From $60 to $170
> Annual costs: From $2,160 to $17,585
> Total lifetime cost: From $71,280 to $580,305
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Flywheel Publishing has partnered with CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. Flywheel Publishing and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers.
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