3 in 10 US pet owners spend more on their pet than they do on their own health: report

 These pet parents are paws-itively committed to their furry friends.

One in three pet owners spends more on their pets each month than they do on their own health and wellness needs, according to a new survey from US News & World Report.

Spending piles up quickly. Of the 1,500 questioned — with 68% identifying as dog owners and 32% as cat owners — 72% shared that they drop between $50 and $200 each month on pet food, grooming, pet insurance, veterinarian bills and toys.

For slightly over half of these pet parents (54%), their spending on their cats and dogs is in line with their budget.

However, nearly one-third (28%) end up exceeding their pet budget — and for 30% of respondents, their monthly pet care costs go above what they pay for their own self-care needs.

Three in 10 dog and cat owners spend more on their pets each month than they do on their own gym memberships, healthcare co-pays and supplements.

With all this information, it should come as no surprise that 38% called themselves a proud “helicopter pet parent,” taking their four-legged companions to the vet for more than just their routine visits.

Excluding the routine exams, 43% of pet owners find themselves at the vet at least two times per year, and 11.2% of them are visiting the vet for a “weird” potential symptom anually, like persistent head tilting or hiccups.

Thirty-eight percent of owners called themselves a proud “helicopter pet parent.”Jason Minto/Delaware News Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

However, sometimes those additional visits are warranted.

The pets of about one-third of respondents have ingested a foreign body such as bones, socks, metal, yard debris, plastic or toys; 7.4% of owners had pets ingest toxic food like chocolate, grapes, raisins or xylitol; and pets ingested medication or pills for 2.2% of the survey respondents, leading to emergency vet visits.

In reality, a lot of the spending on pets comes from unexpected vet bills.

More than half of the pet owners said that in 2025, they paid north of $500 annually in vet bills — and 67% said they had to deal with unexpected vet bills ranging fro $500 to $3,000.

Unplanned expenses are a burden to those pet parents, with 15% saying that if they received a bill of $2,000 that they didn’t plan for, they wouldn’t be able to pay for it, and 38% said they would have to put it on a credit card.

Thirty percent of respondents said they spend more on their pets each month than they do on gym memberships, healthcare co-pays and supplements for themselves.USN&WR

Despite the unexpected and emergency visits — as well as the overcautious visits — only 34% said that they currently have pet insurance.

The 65% who said they don’t have pet coverage noted that they don’t have it because it’s too expensive.

It might be pricey, but 86% of the respondents who do have pet insurance believe it’s worth the cost, saying that they “definitely” or “probably” get their money’s worth.

https://nypost.com/2026/02/23/lifestyle/3-in-10-pet-owners-spend-more-on-pet-than-their-own-health-report/