What are the costs to own a kitten/cat?

[hachiebang]

Hi everyone, i really love cats and i was thinking of owning one. However i want to ask you guys what are the costs and maintenance (registration and liscensing) to it. If i were to find a kitten online someone is willing to give away, how much would it cost to go through all the papers, declawing, fixing etc? How much should i expect for medical fees and food per month? Im planning to have this as an indoor cat, but im ok with outdoor too. The only thing that is bothering me about outdoor is that it goes around outdoor in the dirt and sand and then comes home and walks over my bed and sofa lol. I want to make a thread about this before starting anything, researching fully because im against neglecting any animals accidentally and purposefully. Many thanks!

Edit: also would the litter training be a difficult process if it was a kitten? What if its already litter trained (a 2 yr old cat)?

[molala]

It would be helpful if you would tell us your location?

I have two cats, both are adopted. My friend adopted his kitten at an adoption center which he paid around $300 (or maybe less?) that includes all the first year vaccines, neuter, and 6 months supply of can food.

I don't believe in declawing cats...sounds quite cruel to me..especially if you were to have your cat outdoor...better not to declaw...i clip the nail and bath my cats since they were a kitten and now they are over 4 yrs old and still have no problem of me doing that...

I rather keep my cats indoor to save on the vet bill. My vet charges more for outdoor cat..

as for cost..it depends on what kind of food you feed them..my cats eat Science Diet which cost around $40 for a large bag and a box of litter cost like $10...$50/month for two cats...vaccines...depending where you are...the cheapest vet I found only charges $60 for an annual check up and vaccines...registration..depending on your town and whether or not your cat is fixed and microchipped...they range about $15-$40/year for my town...

if you were to keep your cat indoor...don't worry about the chip!

EDIT: a 2 year old should be litter trained..litter training is easy...I locked them in the bathroom until they use the litter box once which means they figured ou where it is and the proper use of it.

hope that helps!

[Ozzy]

declawing cats is bad, its the equivilant of amputating your fingertips.

If your worried about it scratching your furniture , try these
http://www.softpaws.com/faqs.html

you can even get them in your favorite colors.

[keanefan]

http://www.petfinder.com/adopt.html

if you are in Toronto...

http://toronto.craigslist.org/pet
http://toronto.kijiji.ca/f-pets-to-give-or-donate

http://www.torontohumanesociety.com
http://www.toronto.ca/animal_services

:arrow:

[Shaner]

You do NOT need to declaw cats, it's unnecessary. The people who do that are just too lazy to train them and too cheap to buy scratching posts.

Other than food and litter, the absolute most important thing you can buy a cat is scratching posts. Cats need to scratch. If you don't provide scratching posts, they will scratch your furniture.

I had two cats for about 2 years (the ex-girlfriend kept them when we split) and never once did they scratch the furniture. We had at least one scratching post in every room. We also had a large cat tree that they could scratch, climb and sit on. Cats like climbing and they like sitting up high. A tree isn't necessary, but if you have a spare room or basement that you can put one in, your cats will appreciate it.

Owning a cat really isn't expensive provided it remains healthy. Just like people, sometimes animals get sick. If it requires surgery, medication, numerous appointments, etc. then it will start becoming expensive quickly. Most likely nothing like that will happen until it gets older, but it's something you need to be aware of.

What you also need to know is that a cat is a 15 year commitment, if not more. You need to be prepared for everything I stated above and more. If you can't commit to that cat for the next 15-20 years, then don't get one.

[pkguy]

The other big question you have to ask yourself is are you willing and/or able to pay a very very large vet bill if your cat becomes sick? Hundreds and hundreds of dollars worth of vet billing? It does happen and vets are not cheap.
Don't be like some people I know who have all the latest phones and computer and cameras and tv's and then when their kitty becomes sick they're begging all their friends to help them pay the vet bill.

[Owbist]

The expense is negligible as long as the cat remains healthy. We have had cats for 40 years and never had major expenses. Commitment as noted above is the key, can you cope with knowing the cat might live for 18 years as a couple of ours did? Can you cope with having the moggie put down when the time arrives as it surely will?

Animals can be a huge comfort and a dreadful tie, as long as you understand that the cat will allow you to live with it :)

[vladislav]

If you have to ask that question you should be very careful about getting a cat. Cat is a member of a family, it's not a toy with an upkeep. A cat costs peanuts but if something goes wrong a kitty can cost quite a bit. Please be aware that a pet becomes your responsibility and if you are not ready for the commitment (financially and emotionally) just yet maybe wait a bit until you are.

Good luck, cats are the best!

[watching]

AFAIC, if you're planning on declawing a kitten/cat perhaps you should look into buying a replica of the energizer bunny instead. Declawing felines is cruel, painful and leaves them with no method of defence, should they need to defend themselves. Just imagine having your own nails surgically removed. Vets who perform declawing surgery should lose their license to practise. :mad:

[Sepiraph]

Please keep your cat indoor, I think letting a cat outdoor in the city/suburb is pretty dangerous as cars are detrimental to a cat's life. :(

[felix]

declawing cats is bad, its the equivilant of amputating your fingertips.

I found out it's actually illegal in California. My sister told me now that she's a vet down there. Not sure about the rest of USA. They should make it illegal in Canada also.

[TheCheez]

Count on around $40-50/mo including food, toys, repairing damage to your house/items and setting some aside for bigger vet bills.

[molala]

Count on around $40-50/mo including food, toys, repairing damage to your house/items and setting some aside for bigger vet bills.

:lol: ........like what?

[lordzod]

We just got a kitten a few weeks ago and spent around $175(ish) even before we got her.

Food (we had Blue Buffalo recommended she loves it and doesnt have the fillers in it that most brands do that cats cannot/have problems digesting), litter, toys, cat carrier, dishes, litter, bitter spray for my wires and stuff, brushes(may I suggest the Furminator), nail clippers .... it all adds up pretty quick.

She has her first vet appt. this comming Saturday, and I have no idea how much that will set us back but oh well. We are going to get her spayed eventually as well so Im guessing thats another few hundred.

We are trying to avoid the declawing as well. We have got the perches w/scratching poles as well as other scratching mats around the house. So far so good.

and of course I have to show her off :cheesygri
http://picasaweb.google.com/steveski/Munchkin
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7VSR4_tAYvw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KbcXD_g6808

[Shaner]

Yeah, like the above poster said, the start up cost isn't cheap, but after that the monthly cost is fairly low.

When I first got my two cats, I paid the humane society $50 per kitten (I know I could have got free ones somewhere, but I wanted to get these poor things out of the cages), I spent $100 per kitten to get them fixed (not immediately, but within 6 months), I spent about $250 on scratching posts, a large 6 foot high tree for them to climb and sit on, toys, etc. I also had to buy the litter box, the scoop, food and water bowls, etc.

Start up costs for me were about $500 for both cats, but I didn't skimp out on the scratching posts and tree. I got really good, expensive ones that wouldn't break as the cats got older. You don't have to necessarily got the best ones out there like I did, but I highly recommend it. Cats want to climb and want to sit up as high as possible so they can look down.

[Spidey]

Our two cats are 100% outside cats. We buy food for them and thats it. They are excellent mousers as well, the one caugt 4 mice in the last 2 days.

They are fixed as well, but healthy as a horse. Helps not living in the city so they can roam the country side as they see fit.

All depends if it will be a city or country cat

[setell]

The other big question you have to ask yourself is are you willing and/or able to pay a very very large vet bill if your cat becomes sick? Hundreds and hundreds of dollars worth of vet billing? It does happen and vets are not cheap.
Don't be like some people I know who have all the latest phones and computer and cameras and tv's and then when their kitty becomes sick they're begging all their friends to help them pay the vet bill.

+1

My kitty got sick earlier this year and she's costed me $2000+ right now (just on treatment) and it's going to be a ongoing thing since she'll need medications for life. She's just 2 years old too! I can't stress that you have to be ready to pay for the big vet bills if you're as unlucky as we are to have a sick kitty.

Maintaining a kitty is really cheap other than the initial start up cost that most have mentioned. I am against declawing as well. Buy a good scratching post (with a texture your cat will like) and you'll be fine. My cat hasn't damage anything yet and we got a leather sofa too!

[EP32k2]

I have a persian and a DSH. Initial costs are relatively cheap. It's when they get sick that it costs a #*$#^*#!!!

The persian gets a hair cut every 2-3mths ($60) and the DSH is maint. free. However he did get a urinary tract infection earlier this year, very common for males so keep an eye out for that!

Is pet insurance worth it? I got quoted with PC insurance for about $45/mth for the 2 cats. What's nice about the insurance is that the premiums will never go up regardless of age. There is however a dollar limit on the cost of curing though. Somthing like $2000 for each illness per year.

[TenzoR]

got our kittens here
http://www.torontocatrescue.ca/store/index.asp

as for cost, well take a look around your nearby Pet shop to get you started on food, pricing, etc. I bought 24cans of wet food for about $35 and it's good for 6 month. Dry food last a while too. The initial investment can seem quite high but afterwards, the cost isn't really that much.