The survey from a company offering high-interest rate loans says Delaware pet owners rank first among the 50 states in the amount of money spent on their cats, dogs, rabbits etc.
OppLoans found that, on average, Americans spend $126.19 per month keeping their pets happy and healthy.
The survey, which looked at more than 1,000 pet owners across the United States, found pet owners in Delaware are the biggest spenders, shelling out an average of $311.90 every month on their cats, dogs, rabbits, and turtles.
It should be noted that 1,000 is a very small sample that could easily be skewed.
Rounding out the bottom of the list? Idaho pet owners, whose frugal habits keep the average cost of pet ownership in The Gem State to just $20/month.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the study found that fish owners tend to spend the least on their aquatic pals, averaging around $62 per month.
At $139.80, dog owners spend $47 more per month than cat owners, who spend an average of $92.98 on their feline companions.
Owners of small mammals, like hamsters, gerbils and guinea pigs rack up a big monthly bill, with an average monthly spend of $251.82!
OppLoans research lead Caroline Thompson said her team was surprised by many of the data points.
“We certainly didn’t expect to learn that young people [ages 18-24] would be the age group spending the most on their pets,” said Thompson. “But the data showed that young Millennials are leading the charge, spending $173.67 per month on their animals!”
Further information is available at the Financial Sense blog.
OppLoans offers short-term loans that start at about 99 percent interest. The loans are said to be an alternative to pay day loans that can run into the hundreds of percentage points.
Delaware has tightened regulations on payday loans but remains one of the states that allow lenders to offer the option.
