According to the ASPCA,
the average cost of taking care of a cat as
a pet cost about $600 or more per year. And, we have not even discussed
the average cost of a cat in the first year of adoption which can be about over
$1000!
And this is just the cost of one cat. A lot of times our furry babies need
companionship and the fur-ever home may end up with a second or even a third
cat! If you are considering adopting a cat, let’s look at and discuss the
factors that contribute to the upfront cost and then the ongoing cost to keep
your fur-babies healthy, safe, and happy!
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THE COST OF YOUR NEW CAT |
|
|
First Year/Upfront
Cost: |
Ongoing Cost: |
|
Onetime Fee &
Initial Cost |
Day to Day Cost & Yearly Cost |
First Year/Upfront Cost
The figures below are both initial cost of your pet covering
adoption and ongoing cost. In the first year it is presumed that you don’t have
anything on hand and will be acquiring what is needed. Also, there will be one-time
fees to consider as well. The adoption fee covers such services as spaying or
neutering your fur-baby, vaccinations, rabies shots, microchipping, licensing,
and depending upon the shelter: pet supplies. Regarding the initial costs that
will become ongoing, you will want to stock up on food and kitty litter. Pet
furniture, pet toys and pet proofing the house is another initial coat to
undertake at the same time. However, depending upon your cat and how well you
tend to their belongings, you might find that you buy news sporadically during
the years. Overall, for your new cat, expect to spend about $1,000
to $1,500 for a single cat. If you adopt in pairs, expect to add an
additional $300 to $500 per new cat. Somethings the cats will have to share
with each other while others you will either have to buy duplicates or a
portion more of other things. As an example, when me and Leah where first adopted
the things that our human family had to buy in duplicates were litter boxes, as
a rule of thumb a litterbox per cat. Leah
and I share pet toys and pet furniture but there are enough to accommodate 2-3
cats. And with food, kitty litter, dishes, and bowls, we do have portions that
can accommodate all three of us since Star was adopted a few months later. With
the figures that I have provided, it really all depends on how much you can
afford, what your local area has to offer, and the local prices.
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FIRST YEAR/UPFRONT COST |
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|
One Time Fee |
Initial Cost |
||
|
Fee/Cost |
Estimated Cost |
Fee/Cost |
Estimated Cost |
|
Adoption Fee |
$300 - $400 |
Food |
$300 - $400 |
|
|
|
Kitty
Litter |
$200 |
|
|
|
Pet Furniture &
Toys |
$50 - $100 |
|
|
|
Pet
Proofing House |
$50 - $100 |
Just In-Case Money (First Year): Also, put
aside at least $100 to $200 just in-case money in the event that something
unforeseen comes up health wise or otherwise with your cat. Make sure that you
do this and budget as well per cat. As an example, the dreaded shelter virus
that Leah and I had together. Also, when Star was adopted, she had a slightly
different kind of virus from being around other foster cats. There was a scare
that we might have picked up what Star had, and we all had to get tested to
ensure we were all okay. Just in case money per cat helped with each situation.
Things to help keep the cost down during the first
year: Buy in bulk food and kitty litter from stores like Costco, be
conservative with toys and cat furniture (a modest sized cat tree, scratching
post, litter boxes, bed, and blanket with 4-5 inexpensive toys are a fine
start. Also be conservative with the playtime stuff and get the important
things that they will need to be safe comfortable and happy. And get what you
need for pet proofing your house! Cats are territorial and love to scratch
furniture to make areas as their own on a daily basis).
Ongoing Cost
What is great about overcoming the first year of owning a
new cat or two (or three and counting) is how the cost tends to level out a bit.
The new cat mama or pa(w)-pa(w) gets use to being a parent and a lot of what is
needed comes down to basic needs. This is where budgeting comes in handy
because it is not so much that cat parent was not able to afford cat food or
the kitty litter on a regular basis. The matter at hand is that in addition to
the bare necessities, we were not able to afford the unforeseen that occurred
in tandem to the day to day needs of the cat or cats! Multiple cats will add to
the complexity of the matter, so it is important to be aware of this and always
be prepared. As an example, for the cost of food*, add an additional $50-$100
more per cat.
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ONGOING COST |
|||
|
Day To Day Cost |
Annual Costs |
||
|
Fee/Cost |
Estimated Cost |
Fee/Cost |
Estimated Cost |
|
Food |
$300* |
Health Insurance |
$200 |
|
Kitty Litter |
$200 |
Licensing |
$15 |
|
Treats |
$100 |
Recurring Medical
Cost |
$300 - $500 (per
cat) |
|
Toy |
$100 |
|
|
Just In-Case Money (Annually): Having at least
$500 on hand in case of emergencies or unforeseen heath issues or other
instances is a good start for at least one cat. The more cats you have the more
you should realistically begin to adjust this figure upward by about an
additional $200-$300 per additional cat. Keep this money reserved and
replenished as needed on a yearly basis because when it comes to a loved one
(even a fur-baby) we would like to be proactive instead of reactive. Also,
after the first initial year, there might still be lingering costs to take care
of. Having that money on hand will go a long way to your peace of mind and add
to the health wellness and comfort to the furry new member of your family.
Things to help keep the cost down annually: With
a healthy indoor cat, clean water, food, and kitty litter is ongoing and
fur-ever. It is a daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly cost all together in one.
In addition to shopping in bulk at stores like Costco as previously mentioned
before, I would also suggest buying store brand cat food and cat items to help
further keep the cost down. Test it out with your cat to see if he or she likes
it. Star happens to be the worldliest and finnicky of the three of us cats!
Nothing will suit her elevated palate other than Fancy Feasts. With her, expect
to save nothing and to always spend on the best!
Pet Insurance can also help will keeping the yearly cost
down as well. FYI, Leah and I were both recently taken to the Vet for an annual
checkup, and it cost my human family $427 per cat to make sure we had a clean
bill health! Star didn’t go this time! She hid well (clever girl!). But when
she does go in, we imagine it will be about the same and she is pending a
dental cleaning. That is to downside to always demanding Fancy Fest only and
being the bougiest about it too! Pet insurance will definitely be in the future
for her and all of us as well!
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Blog Article
Resources: |
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https://www.cnet.com/personal-finance/heres-how-much-it-costs-to-own-a-dog-or-cat-in-2021/ |
Still need help figuring out the cost of adopting and caring
for a new cat of your own? Here is a free
PDF form to help you in figuring out the cost of your precious
fur-baby! It has been set up and organized with the information from this
article by columns and rows. As you do the research in your local area, just
complete the blank spaces and when you are done fact finding just add up the
columns. Now you’ll have a (p)awesome and pur-sonalized estimate so that you
can budget well and focus on the most important thing: bonding and giving your
new addition to the family all the love, attention and support you have to
offer!
Got a question, comment, or a cat-astrophe on your furless
paws?
You can always reach me at pixiespetcorner@gmail.com.
And remember that no problem is ever too big or too small for this little black
kitten!
Hugs & cat
kisses from the luckiest black cat you know!
Until next time…
Make Every day the Best Cat-urday!
Pixie
Pixie’s Pet
Corner™
The Luckiest Black
Cat… Truly Beloved!™
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