• Australian pet owners are spending A$21.9bn on their furry friends each year.
• Nationally, Aussies spend twice as much on pets than they do eating at restaurants.
• Dogs are the most popular pets (40%) followed by cats (27%), fish (11%), and birds (9%).

A massive A$21.9 billion is being spent by Aussie pet owners on their furry friends each year – more than people are spending on dining out.

An Animal Medicine Australia’s survey on “Pets in Australia” found that family fauna ownership is at all-time highs with 29 million pets in Aussie homes – one of the highest rates of household pet ownership globally.

Pet owners are now spending an average of A$309 a month on their creature companions. In September 2021, survey data published by Afterpay revealed more than half of Aussies are spending more on their animals than themselves in lockdown.

Conversely, Australians spend just A$230 every month on fast food and restaurant dining on average, a Commonwealth Bank survey shows. Of that just A$143 per month is being spent at restaurants – half of what they’re spending on their pets.

Data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) shows that across the board nationally, Aussie spending on dining and shopping dropped 39% in the first week of 2022, compared to the week that ended December 24.

Pinterest has predicted that in 2022 people will ‘catify their homes’ with a luxury cat room, or even ‘dogify’ it with a luxury dog room, as people “redesign their homes with Fido and Felix at the forefront”. Millennials, Gen X, and Baby Boomer pet parents are expected to drive this trend.

Pets can be costly, however. Those bought from breeders can cost more than A$1000, and buyers often have to pay hundreds or thousands of dollars for essential procedures such as desexing or microchipping. Pets from shelters usually have these extra costs built into their sale price, which can be less than A$1000.

As previously reported by Grafa, the price of a Corgi puppy in Australia surged 649% since 2010 as lonely lockdowns and travel restrictions have sent both demand and the cost of puppies skyrocketing in 2021.

In June 2021, an Australian dog became the world’s most expensive Kelpie after he sold at auction for A$35,200. The Edenhope-bred Kelpie, named Hoover, sold at A$13,000 more than the previously held most expensive record, primarily due to his ability to work with livestock in yards and paddocks alike.

Dogs are the most favoured type of pet with some 40% of domestic households including at least one dog. This is followed by cats (27%), fish (11%), birds (9%), small mammals (3%), and reptiles (2%).

Before buying a pet, the following annual costs are something to consider:

Quality pet food: $1000+

Vet bills (miscellaneous): $600+

Medicines: $300+

Toys & accessories: $200+

Pet insurance: $100+

Grooming: $100+

Training: $60+