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Most pet owners who try to estimate what their animal will cost over its lifetime come in low. In Synchrony’s 2025 Pet Lifetime of Care Study, nearly eight in ten surveyed owners said they had underestimated lifetime care costs. The gap is real, but the number you start from matters just as much. Published lifetime figures run from about $7,600 for a small companion animal to about $60,600 for a dog, and the spread reflects different species, lifespans and definitions rather than one settled price.
What the 2025 Synchrony study measured
Synchrony, a financial company that sells the CareCredit veterinary financing product, commissioned the Pet Lifetime of Care Study. It was an online survey of 4,861 U.S. pet owners, fielded January 31 to February 22, 2025. Its headline result, reported in its June 2, 2025 announcement, is that nearly eight in ten owners underestimated lifetime care costs. The announcement also quotes Jonathan Wainberg, Synchrony’s Senior Vice President and General Manager, Pet, saying that many owners are unaware of the true financial commitment even though 60% of dog owners, 61% of cat owners and 59% of pocket-pet owners see their animals as family.
The study publishes two kinds of figures, and they should not be mixed. The first is a range of estimated lifetime care cost. The second is an expected lifetime spend shown in the study’s 2025 infographic, which uses a different lifespan for each animal type.
| Pet type | Lifetime estimate (range) | Lifespan basis, as stated | Expected lifetime spend (infographic) | Estimated lifespan behind that expectation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dog | $22,125–$60,602 over 15 years | 15 years | $8,158 | 12.5 years |
| Cat | $20,073–$47,106 | Not stated in the announcement | $5,735 | 14.7 years |
| Small companion animal | $7,600–$14,938 over six years | Six years | $2,977 (pocket pets) | 7.3 years (pocket pets) |
The range for dogs rose an average of 11.65% from Synchrony’s 2022 study, and the range for cats rose 19.4%. Because the expectation figures and the ranges use different lifespans, do not treat $8,158 and $22,125 as the same measure for the same dog. Also note that the small-animal range is built on six years, while the pocket-pet expectation assumes 7.3.
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Why the newer estimates don’t line up
Rover, a pet-care marketplace, published a 2026 report on June 2, 2026. It reports median lifetime costs of $39,350 for a medium-sized dog and $32,527 for a cat, based on a May 2026 Pollfish survey of 1,000 U.S. pet parents, as described in Rover’s announcement. Those figures are useful, but they are not a replication of Synchrony’s numbers.
| Feature | Synchrony, 2025 | Rover, 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Publisher’s business | Financial company that sells veterinary financing | Pet-care marketplace |
| Survey fielded | January 31–February 22, 2025 | May 2026 |
| Respondents | 4,861 U.S. pet owners | 1,000 U.S. pet parents |
| Statistic reported | Ranges, and expected lifetime spend | Medians |
| Dog | $22,125–$60,602 (15 years) | $39,350 median, medium-sized dog |
| Cat | $20,073–$47,106 (lifespan not stated) | $32,527 median |
| Small companion animals | $7,600–$14,938 (six years) | Not stated in the announcement |
| Lifespan assumption behind the figures | Stated for dog and small-animal ranges; cat range not tied to a stated lifespan | Not stated in the announcement |
Because the surveys differ in timing, sample and statistic, the Rover medians cannot be placed beside Synchrony’s ranges to show that costs rose or fell. Keep each as a separate estimate. Averaging them would mix methods that were never designed to match. Neither source offers an independent, itemized lifetime model across species and pet sizes, so no single figure should be presented as the lifetime cost of a given pet.
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When you compare any two estimates, check six things:
- The survey year and field dates.
- Who was surveyed and where.
- The species and, for dogs, the size.
- The lifespan assumed.
- Which costs are included, such as food, preventive care, emergencies, grooming and insurance.
- Whether the number is a range, a median, or an expected spend.
What annual spending looks like
Annual figures are easier to act on, but they are narrower than they look. The Insurance Information Institute’s summary of the American Pet Products Association’s National Pet Owners Survey gives selected 2024–2025 annual amounts per pet:
| Expense category (per pet, per year) | Dogs | Cats |
|---|---|---|
| Veterinary care | $331 | $179 |
| Food | $293 | $194 |
| Medications | $97 | $47 |
| Treats | $60 | $42 |
| Toys | $37 | $25 |
These are separate categories from a survey that asked about each one individually. APPA did not ask owners for their total annual spending, and the categories are not all-inclusive, so adding the rows gives a partial figure rather than a budget. The III page with the APPA data is the place to check the exact wording.
Turning a lifetime estimate into a budget
- Choose a benchmark that matches your pet. Use a figure for the same species, and for dogs the same size, and note the lifespan behind it. A dog estimate built on 15 years is not directly comparable to a cat figure with no stated lifespan.
- Convert it to a yearly figure. Dividing Synchrony’s dog range of $22,125–$60,602 by 15 years gives about $1,475–$4,040 a year. The small-animal range of $7,600–$14,938 over six years works out to about $1,267–$2,490 a year. These are simple straight-line averages. Real spending is uneven, with some years cheap and others carrying a single large bill.
- Budget routine care separately. Use the APPA categories as a checklist: veterinary visits, food, medications, treats and toys. Then add preventive care and any dental or parasite products your veterinarian recommends.
- Set aside money for the unexpected. An emergency or serious illness is the expense most likely to be harder to absorb in a single month. Keep a separate reserve for it rather than hoping the routine budget covers it.
- Compare your actual spending each year. Replace the published averages with your own records once you have a year or two of data.
Cutting costs without cutting needed care
The ASPCA’s cost guidance on cutting pet care costs sets clear limits on what counts as a saving:
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- Keep the yearly exam. The ASPCA puts it plainly: “Don’t skip your pet’s yearly exam.”
- Compare veterinary practices’ preventive-care fees before you choose one.
- Ask your veterinarian which dental products to use and how often, and use parasite products as directed.
- Never use a dog product on a cat.
- Buy appropriate, good-quality food rather than the cheapest option.
- Brushing and nail trimming at home may save the cost of a grooming visit. Grooming needs vary by animal, and home tools do not replace veterinary care.
Insurance and financing: compare terms, not labels
The ASPCA suggests considering pet insurance when an emergency or serious illness would strain your finances, and cautions that plans are not all alike. Before you buy, compare exclusions, waiting periods, deductibles, reimbursement levels, and annual or lifetime limits. Read the policy terms rather than relying on a summary.
Veterinary financing is a different tool. Credit lets you spread a bill over time, but it adds borrowing cost and does not reduce what the care costs. Insurance pays part of an eligible claim under the policy’s terms. Neither should be presented as a way to lower lifetime spending. Synchrony, the sponsor of the 2025 study, is also the company behind CareCredit, so weigh its financing content with that relationship in mind.
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