Our pet costs survey results are in
Money, money money
Twice a year, PD Insurance reaches out to our customers to find out their opinions on all things dog and cat-related. We’ve revealed fascinating insights on everything from nutrition and renting with pets to how generations differ in their attitudes to owning pets. This time, using over 1,500 responses gathered over two weeks in April 2025, we’re looking at how Kiwi pet parents are managing pet costs amid New Zealand’s cost of living crisis. Opinions varied but one thing stood out, Kiwi pet parents remain committed to giving their pets the best care they can, even as they deal with financial pressure.
Kiwis are feeling the
impact of rising costs
While New Zealand recovers from a recession, pet parents are having to absorb ever higher costs. Almost 90% answered ‘yes’ to the below question:
Vet care and food
top the list
We sometimes forget the true cost of owning a dog or cat. We asked pet owners which expenses they felt had gone up the most recently – they could tick as many options as they liked. Kiwis say they’ve seen the sharpest increases in food, vet care and toys. Other mentions included dog walking services, kitty litter, medication, flea and worming treatments, shampoo and overnight accommodation while on holiday.
Data dive: Keep in mind that the figures below reflect the number of times each expense category was selected, rather than the number of individual respondents. Normalised to percentages out of a 100, the results would be:
- Food: 32.9%
- Vet care: 30.3%
- Toys: 11.8%
- Grooming: 11.2%
- Boarding: 9.5%
- Other: 4.3%
Pause your scroll: Bookmark or pounce over to our articles
Pet parent spotlight
Kiwis are going without
to keep spending on their pets
Not only have nearly half of pet parents had to make some cutbacks on what they spend on their pets, but almost 15% say they now prioritise spending on their pets over other expenses.
Pet parents are
delaying routine care due to the cost
Almost a third of respondents said they’ve delayed vaccinations, dental cleaning, desexing and/or microchipping their pets due to costs.
Pet parents are
rehoming pets due to costs
Fourteen respondents said they’ve had to rehome a pet due to the associated costs. Pet parents want to do right by their pets, and for some that means finding someone else who can give their animals the care they deserve.
Kiwis are open to
virtual vet appointments
Telemedicine, or virtual vet appointments, let’s you speak to a vet online – by video call, chat, or phone – rather than going into the clinic. Though some respondents were sceptical, almost a third felt this could potentially help save them money.
Kiwi pet owners find
pet insurance ‘extremely valuable’
Almost 96% of respondents see value in pet insurance, with almost 39% calling it ‘extremely valuable’ and almost 31% calling it ‘very valuable.’ In our 2023 World Animal Day survey, 48.2% of respondents said that without insurance, they’d be ‘very concerned’ about being able to pay for an unexpected $1,000+ vet bill in the next three months. In the same survey, 12% shared that they’d had to make the heartbreaking decision of putting their pet down due to the cost of treatment.
Pet parent spotlight
There’s interest in
alternative food options
When it comes to one of the most expensive parts of owning a pet, feeding them, alternative pet food could be a sustainable and cost-effective solution. Though most respondents said no to lab-grown meat and insect-based food, 42.5% said they were still deciding and 13% said yes! 23 people in this survey said they already feed their pets these alternative options.
Did you know?
In February 2025, Meatly became the first company in Europe to commercialise lab-grown pet food. Across the pond, Friends & Family Pet Food Company (California) has partnered with a lab-grown seafood firm in Singapore to create cat treats. Canadian company Further Foods is working on cultivating meat cat treats under the Noochies brand. Meanwhile, in New Zealand, entroprotein (insect-based) pet foods are gaining traction, offering another high-protein, sustainable alternative.
Pause your scroll: Bookmark or pounce over to our articles
Kiwis vocal about
struggles with costs
More than 36% of our respondents chose to answer our optional open-ended question on pet costs, proving their passion for maintaining the quality of care they give their furmily while managing costs.
Pet parent spotlight
Pet parents are pro-adoption
Adopting a dog or cat is both easy on the pocket and good for pets who’ve found themselves in animal shelters. Adoption remains a strong trend, with most respondents having adopted a pet. A further 72% found the process easy, 23.2% said it’s “in some way easy, in other ways challenging,” while only 4.7% found it challenging. Finally, 56% of respondents said they’d adopt or foster a/another pet in the future, 12% said they wouldn’t and 32% said maybe.
Pause your scroll: Bookmark or pounce over to our articles
Pets and sustainability
Sustainable or eco-friendly options are often seen as more expensive. So are people making eco-friendly choices when it comes to their pets? Turns out, most of them are! From switching to biodegradable poo bags to choosing sustainable food, it’s clear that a lot of pet owners are thinking about their furry friends and the planet.
BONUS QUESTION
Pet peeves
Though not strictly related to costs, we wanted to find out about our customers’ pet peeves – literally. The most disliked nuisance is when people don’t pick up after their pets, even more than people not controlling aggressive or reactive pets.
Dive deeper
Want more fascinating insights into Kiwi pet parenting? Pounce into our previous surveys:
- The Generation Pet Survey - where we looked at how generations differ in their attitudes to pets.
- The 2024 Pet Parent Survey - where we looked at taking pets to work, pet birthdays and more.
- The 2023 World Animal Day Survey - where we looked at pet tech, pets on social media, health worries and more.
Pet insurance for when they need it most
You’ve only to be hit by one unexpected vet bill to realise the importance of pet insurance to help you cover your dog or cat during an illness or accident. PD Insurance offers flexible and affordable dog insurance and cat insurance plans. Why not get a quote today?