ASPCA Cutting Pet Care Costs Tables

Why it is listed

Use ASPCA’s Cutting Pet Care Costs tables as a free budget category checklist, then update dollars with a 2026 local estimate (Banfield/CareCredit/Rover).

Pros & cons

Pros

• aspca.org Cutting Pet Care Costs page publishes a 2021 UPDATE table with annual totals of $1,391 (dog) and $1,149 (cat), plus initial/one-time and first-year totals ($3,221 dog / $1,904 cat including special costs).
• Line items include food, routine medical, preventatives, litter, toys, treats, health insurance, boarding per day, license, grooming supplies, spay/neuter, microchipping, training, dental, and more — useful as a budget checklist.
• Accompanying tips: regular check-ups, personalized vaccines, spay/neuter, dental care, parasite prevention, pet insurance consideration, quality food, at-home grooming.

Cons

• Labeled 2021 UPDATE — figures are older than Rover’s 2026 report and may understate current prices. Use as a category checklist, then refresh numbers locally.
• Static table, not an interactive breed/ZIP calculator.
• Insurance and boarding lines are illustrative averages on the table — not personalized quotes.

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