Dog vs Cat Costs: Dog Supplies Ran $304 Higher
Dog vs cat costs split clearly on July 6: the recurring dog-supply basket averaged $1,075 a year across 12 cities, about $304 above the cat basket’s $771.
Pet type created a much larger difference than city: the $304 average dog-cat gap exceeded the full city range inside either category.
The comparison covers recurring food and supplies for one mid-sized dog and one cat.
Dog vs cat costs split in all 12 cities
The dog basket cost more than the cat basket in all 12 cities on July 6. The gap was widest in North Jackson, where recurring dog supplies averaged $1,118 and cat supplies averaged $741.
| City | Dog supplies | Cat supplies | Dog above cat |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jackson, MS - North Jackson | $1,118 | $741 | +$378 |
| San Jose, CA - Blossom Valley | $1,100 | $767 | +$334 |
| Seattle, WA - Rainier Valley | $1,069 | $740 | +$329 |
| Los Angeles, CA - Mid-City | $1,071 | $749 | +$322 |
| Clayton, MO | $1,090 | $780 | +$310 |
| Houston, TX - Midtown | $1,061 | $761 | +$301 |
| Philadelphia, PA - South Philadelphia | $1,078 | $779 | +$300 |
| Jacksonville, FL - Westside | $1,073 | $782 | +$291 |
| New York, NY - Ridgewood/Glendale | $1,052 | $770 | +$282 |
| Chicago, IL - North Center/Avondale | $1,067 | $788 | +$279 |
| East St. Louis, IL | $1,072 | $810 | +$262 |
| San Antonio, TX - West San Antonio | $1,050 | $792 | +$258 |
Dry dog food gave the dog basket its weight
Dry dog food averaged $671 a year on July 6. That single component was only about $101 below the full cat-supply basket, and it made up 62% of the dog total.
Cat costs were more divided. Wet cat food averaged $381, while cat litter averaged $229. Together, those two components made up about 79% of the cat basket.
The food mix explains why the headline gap is so large. Dog supplies were led by one heavy annual food line, while cat supplies split between wet food, litter, and a smaller dry-food line.
The city gap was smaller than the pet gap
The dog ownership cost range was $68 on July 6, from North Jackson at $1,118 to West San Antonio at $1,050. The cat ownership cost range was almost the same size: $70, from East St. Louis at $810 to Seattle at $740.
The smallest dog-cat difference was still much larger. West San Antonio had the narrowest pet gap at $258, nearly four times the dog category’s city range.
The type of pet changed the annual basket more than the city ranking did on July 6.
Jackson had the largest difference
North Jackson had the largest dog-cat difference, even though East St. Louis had the highest cat basket. Jackson’s dog basket averaged $1,118, and its cat basket averaged $741, a $378 difference.
East St. Louis went the other way on cats, with the highest cat basket at $810. Its dog basket still averaged $1,072, leaving dogs $262 above cats there.
The rankings had different leaders: dog costs were highest in Jackson and lowest in San Antonio, while cat costs were highest in East St. Louis and lowest in Seattle.
Browse CostInflation’s price indices, or open the cost of dog ownership per year and cost of cat ownership per year pages for the latest totals. The dog components include wet dog food and dog treats.