KYODO NEWS - Apr 3, 2020 - 14:33 | Lifestyle, All, Japan

Pet owners in Japan annually fork out an average of about 300,000 yen ($2,780) for the upkeep of a dog, and an average of 160,000 yen for a cat, according to a recent survey.

Anicom Insurance Inc., which provides insurance policies for pets, released on Tuesday the results of the annual survey carried out with its clients.

According to the survey, the top spending for both animals was food at about 50,000 yen, followed by insurance fees of roughly 50,000 yen for a dog and about 30,000 yen for a cat, while medical fees came in at around 45,000 yen and 24,000 yen, respectively.

Spending on disaster-related goods, such as toilet sheets and emergency food supplies, rose sharply from the previous year -- 602 yen to 1,082 yen and 633 yen to 1,431 yen for a dog and cat, respectively.

The company analyzed that spending on emergency pet goods is expected to increase further amid heightened contingency awareness of people in disaster-prone Japan.

The company included spending for small animals, such as rabbits, birds and ferrets, for the first time in its latest survey, revealing rabbits are the highest-maintenance animal among them.

The annual spending for a rabbit was around 88,000 yen, including the heating and lighting costs of some 24,000 yen.

The company also advised pet owners to consider these costs before deciding to take on a pet, as spending can be considerably higher if the animal gets sick or injured.

The latest survey asked clients about their spending in 2019. It was conducted online in February and March and received 6,111 answers, according to the company.