Could your pet make you a fortune?

Anyone with a pet knows just how expensive the furriest member of the family can be. The average cost of keeping a dog is around £16,900 over its lifetime, and the average cost of a cat is £17,200. However, owning a pet doesn't have to mean a never-ending list of expenses, because the right pet can actually make you money.

Researchers at GoCompare have tracked down seven of the highest-earning pets - some of which have made millions for their owners.

7. Tara the cat (estimated net worth: £400,000)
When a four-year old Californian boy was attacked by an aggressive dog in his front garden in May 2014, an unexpected hero came to the rescue - the boy's pet cat, Tara. Despite being far smaller than her opponent, loyal Tara set upon the dog. Her act of bravery led to a variety of awards, endless television appearances and an incredible 24 million Youtube views, raking in over half a million dollars in the space of a year.

6. Bob the cat (estimated net worth: £500,000)
James Bowen was living on the streets when he happened upon a friendly stray cat. He adopted the pet and named him Bob. Then he started writing about him. Bowen turned their unusual friendship into a series of successful books and a film script, bringing in enough money to turn his life around and find both himself and Bob a place they can call home.

5. Boo the dog (estimated net worth: £600,000 per year)
According to the GoCompare team, Boo the Pomeranian is generally accepted to be 'the world's cutest dog', and has made a fortune from his internet popularity. He is used to market a huge range of products, including two autobiographies, a series of teddy bears and even an advertising campaign for Virgin, who appointed him their official 'spokesdog'.

4. Moose the Jack Russell terrier (estimated net worth: £2m)
Earning over $10,000 per episode as the intelligent and sweet-natured Eddie in hit US comedy Frasier - plenty more in a variety of side-projects including calendars, books and magazine appearances - Moose the dog earned upwards of $3 million for his doting owners in the late 90s and early 2000s. Moose even found time for a hit movie in his busy schedule, appearing alongside Jack Nicholson in 'As Good As It Gets'.

3. Choupette the cat (estimated net worth: £3m per year)
Karl Lagerfeld's pet cat Choupette pays her own way, thanks to two huge marketing campaigns for car manufacturer Opel and make-up company Shu Uemura. The preening puss lives the high life with her besotted owner - travelling by private jet and eating only the finest of gourmet meals. She even has her own Twitter account.

2. American Pharoah the racehorse (estimated net worth: £3.5m)
Though he's not a pet in the traditional sense, the award-winning racehorse American Pharoas has made his owners rich. The superstar thoroughbred even captured the elusive 'Triple Crown Trophy' awarded to horses which claim victory in America's three biggest races - the first horse in almost forty years to achieve the feat.

1. Crystal the monkey (estimated net worth: £15m)
Boasting a filmography which would put most human A-listers to shame, Crystal the capuchin (pictured above) has been a prolific worker since her screen debut in George of the Jungle almost twenty years ago. Crystal's calm temperament and ability to learn quickly has made her an ideal movie performer for demanding directors, earning her roles in The Hangover Pt. 2, We Bought A Zoo and the Night at the Museum franchise. Crystal's celebrity is such that she often appears on screen as herself, and has even been invited to various red carpet premieres - all while pulling in big bucks for her delighted owner and trainer, Tom Gunderson.

Not every pet is cute enough, well enough trained, fast enough or brave enough to be a money-spinner for their owner. And for every super-cute internet superstar there are millions of pets at home destroying the furniture and racking up vets bills without the slightest inclination to make money for their owners.

But what do you think? Does your pet have what it takes? Let us know in the comments.

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