what is the monthly cost of maintaining a cat ?

Lots of variants with cats!

Obtaining...free to about $85 from a shelter, and more from a pet store, depending on breed.

Vet costs...my vet offers a clinic at the Pet Supermarkets on Saturdays...vaccines are WAY cheaper. Depending on area you live in, and if your cat will be indoor or outdoor, minimal health costs are required. (Rabies and feline polio a must!) There are FREE and reduced spay/neuter programs in most states...do a search online.

Declawing...if 100% indoor...declawing can SAVE money for obvious reasons!

Food...they eat little and food varies in price and quality. I spend about $12 every two months on dry, quality food for two cats.

Litter...varies in cost and quality as well. Scoopable is more expensive, but you gotta...well, scoop it! Sometimes buying the $2 bag and just tossing daily, turns out cheaper than buying the $8 scoopable!

Cats need entertainment...toys are usually pretty cheap and a cat tree can be built or bought...I would expect to spend about $50 on a litter box, litter, food, treats, toys, collar initially and about $10 monthly, average!

Have fun...felines are loyal, fun, and low maintenance!

edit: If your kitty is going to be INDOORS, flea control is not typically neccessary. And the toxins are actually HARMFUL so do NOT use flea control unless needed. Indoor cats life spans are DOUBLE outdoor cats. My oldest cat just had a check up at 14 years, and I asked if she was getting close to her lifespan. His reply..."No! She has another 15 years if she continues this way!"

the cost of food depends on the brand. I use royal canin which is $21 per bag. I go through one a week but I have 4 cats. For the vet I found a plan that is a life saver with haveing so many animals. Its called Banfield and its inside my petsmart. Some people have negative things to say about them but I think it depends on your location. Mine are the best!! It cost $70 to enroll and $21 a month. That covers ALL first year expenses except for any needed medication. It covered all the blood work before neutering or spading, plus anestisa and all the surgical costs. Plus the rounds of shots kittens need and free office calls for life. Its a great way to space out the payments. You will also need toys, I dont think there is really a monthly cost for that. I think I overbuy because I always find really cute ones but then they end up playing with a toilet paper roll lol. I would say maybe $50 upfront for toys and then what you buy after that depends on you. Litter is another expsnse to think about. You can get the cheaper litter but I find it goes much faster and you use more. I use the orange tidy cats one its $12 for the bigger one and with that I can scoop and put a little bit of fresh over it rather then completly changing the littler every time I scoop. IT has fresh crystals in it or something like that. You will need a carrier which will be a one time cost of around $20. To get the actual kitten there will be a small adoption fee which should not go over $50ish. Dont forget treats those are under $2 per bag. You will also need a litter box, scooper, and food &water bowl. I have seen cute sets at petsmart and target which are $20 for the three peices. I hope Im not forgetting anything if you have any more questions email me!! You

the cost of food depends on the brand. I use royal canin which is $21 per bag. I go through one a week but I have 4 cats.

For the vet I found a plan that is a life saver with haveing so many animals. Its called Banfield and its inside my petsmart. Some people have negative things to say about them but I think it depends on your location. Mine are the best!!

It cost $70 to enroll and $21 a month. That covers ALL first year expenses except for any needed medication. It covered all the blood work before neutering or spading, plus anestisa and all the surgical costs. Plus the rounds of shots kittens need and free office calls for life. Its a great way to space out the payments.

You will also need toys, I dont think there is really a monthly cost for that. I think I overbuy because I always find really cute ones but then they end up playing with a toilet paper roll lol. I would say maybe $50 upfront for toys and then what you buy after that depends on you.

Litter is another expsnse to think about. You can get the cheaper litter but I find it goes much faster and you use more. I use the orange tidy cats one its $12 for the bigger one and with that I can scoop and put a little bit of fresh over it rather then completly changing the littler every time I scoop. IT has fresh crystals in it or something like that.

You will need a carrier which will be a one time cost of around $20.

To get the actual kitten there will be a small adoption fee which should not go over $50ish.

Dont forget treats those are under $2 per bag.

You will also need a litter box, scooper, and food &water bowl. I have seen cute sets at petsmart and target which are $20 for the three peices.

I hope Im not forgetting anything if you have any more questions email me!!

You

We have 3 cats! It depends what sort of cat you want really. We have 2 rag doll kittens (pedigree cats). Charlie is 5 months and polly is 10 months. We also have one non pedigree who is about 7 years old. From now owning a pedigree cat and a plain moggy I would say that non pedigrees are a lot less high maintenance and are therefore a lot cheaper to own. The male ragdoll cost £300 and the female £375. Our moggy was bought from an animal rescue place (the cats protection league) and you only have to make a donation to places like this. We probably spend about £15 a month on food for the ragdoll kittens and £20 a month for the moggy. We buy all of them royal chain which is an expensive-ish dry food. If we are getting them their booster injection which is a yearly thing I think its about £30 a cat but you also have to pay to flea and worm your cat which is also about £20 a cat. There is also the expense of having your cat neutered which would depend on the sex of the cat. I think the little boy is going to cost us £30 where as the girl is more expensive at around £50. Our moggy seems a lot tougher than the pedigrees (immune system wise) so I think in the long run it would cost a lot more to own a pedigree cat. Hope this is of some help to you!

Do your homework before purchasing a cat.

1. Call your local humane society and inquire the cost of adopting a cat. Usually they charge somewhere in the neighborhood of approx. $50. This includes their vaccinations, spay/neuter, and a clean of bill of health. They are only getting back the cost of what it costs them to make sure the cat is taken care of and given a clean bill of health before it is adopted.

2. Figure out what vet you want to use.

3. Call that vet and inquire about prices for yearly vaccinations. Yearly should include rabies/distemper (required by law), and if your cat is going outdoors it should have vaccinations for feline leukemia and feline aids. Also inquire about the price of having your cats teeth cleaned once a year. Cats teeth can get tartar and plaque buildup just like outs. This can cause gingivitis (inflamed gums from bacteria) which can make it painful for them to eat. It can also cause very bad breath and can cause tooth loss. Ask your vet at this time what food he recommends. Most recommend a good quality food like Science Diet brand and the vet will take into consideration the age of the cat. Feed the cat according to the instructions on the bag or you can free feed and put some out on a plate and let the cat eats when it is hungry. Over time you will figure out how much cat food you go through and will know if you need to buy one bag or two per month. It really depends on the size of the bag and how much your cat eats. Provide fresh water. Ask your vet also about the cost of monthly flea control like Revolution or Frontline. Cats that have fleas are generally miserable because they constantly scratch and itch and it can make them ill and they bring the fleas into your home and infest your home. Dont use anything out there from Walmart or over the counter. They generally dont work and some of that stuff is toxic to cats. Consider having your cat microchipped if it should get lost or stolen. The vet can give you the cost of this also.

So...each month you have the cost of flea control and food.

Each year you have the cost of the office visit, the exam, and the cost of the vaccinations.

Beyond that you also have to provide toys and play items to keep your cat entertained and a collar with his rabies tags on it and a tag engraved with your cats name, and your name and phone number if it gets lost and you dont have your cat microchipped.

Owning a pet is a responsibility that too many people take lightly and they think you just put out some food and water and that is all there is to it. If you are a responsible pet owner you should do the research and find out what it will cost BEFORE you get an animal and consider if you can afford it. Many animals wind up strays because people abandon them because it costs too much or them turn them into the animal shelter becaue it costs too much. Do the animal a favor and consider all things before you take on the financial cost of owning a pet. Best Wishes...

I've had my kitty for about 4 months and he is the most expensive kitty ever. He was a stray, so I didn't adopt him with all his shots and everything.

So we had about €100 on FIV/FeLV shots.

Thankfully he was already fixed.

Flea meds and worming meds total about €15.month

Then we found out he has a skin allergy, €20 for shots not including the "examination fee" of €50 a pop.

Then a microchip, €45.

The vet said we should let him go outside, so the ONE time we took him out, under supervision, he got into a fight with a dog and fell out of a tree (into my arms). Hurt his leg, not broken, but with Xrays, sedation, examination, and pain meds that little accident was €160.

Checkup on the injury plus more skin allergy shots €60.

More skin allergy (this time a bit more severe and localized), more allergy meds, €60.

That's just for vet bills! Insurance doesn't cover a lot. We spend about €15/month on his food and treats (Whiskas Temptations!), plus litter.

Carrier was about €30, toys about €20.

That should just about cover it for the first 4 months! Oh, and I live in Ireland. I'm starting to see that maybe his previous owner dumped him because he got too expensive... and I'm an overprotective Mommy... but he is worth every penny. :)

Cats are virtually expense-less.

I paid a $100 dollar adoption fee for my cat that included a vet check, shots, and getting him neutured.

I pay $10 a month for his food, and then a little extra if I buy him some special wet food.

You'll spend about $50 initially on toys (cat-scratching post, mouse toys, feather toys) and they go thru their toys very slowly as they are not destructive animals.

You'll spend about $20 on a collar and custom name tag for your cat, initially.

Then there's the flea maintenance- I would put Frontline on them once, and if they are an inside cat they shouldn't need it very often. MAYBE, just MAYBE once a year. This costs you about $30-$40.

They are very cheap and maintenance free pets!! I LOVE cats!

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RE:

what is the monthly cost of maintaining a cat ?

people who have a cat as their pet , please help me with some information on how much you spend on your cat per month .

How much did your cat cost you when you bought ,

how much do you spend on its food ,

what food do you give it ,

how much do you have to pay when you visit the doctor ,

and...

1. I gor my cat free and it only cost 2 pounds(english money) to get her vaccinations!

2. i spend about 5 pounds on food a week but i do go for quite high quality food. you could get it cheaper.

3. i get my cat felix and tesco cat crunchies.

4. if you get pet insurance about 4.00 a month it takes away most vetinary costs.

Cats really dont cost very much. and the love and affection you get from them is enough to cover any costs!!!!

We got our kitten from a friend so it was free but we spend about £5 on meat and £5 on biscuits, £5 on litter.

If you get pet insurance (roughly £15-£25 a month) then vet bills are covered, if not you're looking at £100s.