Cost of owing a cat

Anybody have an estimate on what the monthly/annual costs are to own a cat. Include all costs: food, vets, litter, etc.

Thanks in advance.

It depends - some cats end up requiring prescription diets (which get pricey). If they get sick - you will end up with vet bills that aren't "normally" accounted for. Figure at least 1 vet exam a year + vaccines - depending on where you live that could be $30 or $100+. If you buy from a breeder, it costs more to get a cat. If you get one from a shelter that is already fixed/vetted that is cheaper than a "free" kitten from a paper you must vet yourself.

It really depends on vet costs, but as was mentioned you should plan for at least one visit a year. You can call some vets in your area and get an estimate for vaccines and a wellness check. Food costs can really vary as well, depends on what you decide to feed. Do some shopping aroudn on prices as far as cat foods and litter goes. Then you need to decide what kind of cat or kitten you would like to have.

Welcome to TheCatSite.

You have asked an important question.
Do you have cats or are you thinking about adopting a cat?
Please tell us a little about yourself.

Being a cat's caregiver is a commitment for the life of the cat.
As you probably know, a cat can live 16 to 20 years, sometimes even longer.
Their care is not inexpensive.

When my 2 cats were young, the cost of food, annual check-ups, cat trees and toys was relatively inexpensive.
Around 5 years old, they both had their teeth cleaned...
an expensive procedure because they required labs for general anesthesia.
Now that they are almost 9....
the cost their care has skyrocketed because my little girl Sadie, has been ill.
Vet emergencies can add up quickly.
Some members have insurance for their cats vet care.

If I can help you with any site questions, just send a private message to me....
I will get back to you asap.

well.. here are my estimates:
food: 22$ (how much I pay for one 3 killogram bag. lasts about a month)
vet bill: 80$ (white cat lover is right it depends. so i put 80. a number bettween 30 and 100. A check up once a year!)
grooming supplies: 10$
litter: 20$ (large size lasts a month for me.)
litter BOX: 30$
food bowls: 24$

22
80
10
20
30
24
+__
186$

not THAT much

Thanks for all the info.

I started volunteering at the local shelter. So I socialize cats and kittens.
I am stationed in IL with the Army and my family is not here. Neither are the two cats. So I miss the cats.

I see many nice cats at the shelter. Of course I want to bring most of them home.

But I know they are a commitment. Just figure that I need a companion.

The ASPCA publishes an annual average cost review ... here is last year's.

http://www.catchannel.com/News/aspca...are-costs.aspx

Of course, if you get a cat, there are also threads on here about insurance... search them and see if that is right for you b/c injury or illness can really add up in a hurry.

Would you be able to foster for the shelter? Here we are always in need of foster homes...

So I see about $670.00 per year. Easy. Now the next step....

Foster home. Good idea I guess but I think that the animals need permanent parents.

Originally Posted by army_eod

Foster home. Good idea I guess but I think that the animals need permanent parents.

Click to expand...

You must miss your own kitties terribly.

When you are ready, I have no doubt that you will open your heart and home to a very lucky cat.
Sometimes, a foster caregiver is just what a kitty needs until a forever home opens up.
Fostering might fill your need for a companion until your circumstances change.

Thank you for volunteering at a shelter.

I'd say ~ $600 a year is about right. The big "if" factor is vet bills. If you get a kitten, shots, baby colds, etc. can be expected to cost a good bit... If you go with an adult cat, make sure that you know as much about it's background as possible. I adopted an ~2 year old (supposedly) cat from my local shelter and he ended up having loads of health problems requiring huge vet bills (in excess of 1K the first year I owned him). Just be aware and have whatever animal you adopt vetted thuroughly right after adoption.

The annual wellness exam and shots costs me about $85 per cat, but in some places this can be closer to $120, so that's worth looking into as well.

Good luck!
Art