Dog or cat: which fits your life and budget?
The cost of owning a dog and the cost of owning a cat differ in food, vet care, grooming and lifespan. Pick a species and the quiz scores only those breeds.
Which species are you looking to welcome into your home?
Species sets your cost baseline: it governs food spend, veterinary risk and which homes a breed suits. Costs, size and care needs differ a lot between the two, so we score them separately.
Planning a multi-pet or dual-species household?
Veterinary risk and food models differ by species, so run this quiz for your first or next pet. You can repeat it for another animal afterwards.
How dog and cat costs differ
The median dog breed costs $209/mo to run against $82/mo for a cat, and its first year runs about 110% higher. The median cat breed lives about 14 years against 13 for dogs, so a cat's costs also have longer to add up. Dog breeds span 5 size classes, and their costs climb with adult size.