How do u take care of a cat, also how much r the things u need for a cat for?

Question

please tell me
i don't know how much it is for spaying and food and the litter box and how much is it for a cheak up
please tell me all the deltails
also the person who has the best answer will get voted
please please help me!
i am desperate

Answer 1

Cats tend to be more independent and require less care than dogs. I have 3 cats, and sometimes I don't even know they are around. As for what you need - a litter box, food and water bowls is necessary, scratching post and toys, well they are helpful, but not a necessary item. As for food, my cats eat just over a cup of food a day, and this is for three of them. But, since they come in and out, I have food and water both inside and outside, and I am sure the outside food is eaten by visiting cats as well. but what mine actually consume would be between 1 - 2 cups a day. So you can figure that cost according to the cost of the food you'd want to feed. That varies greatly, but keep in mind, an animal actually eats less of a premium food, because it's more protein, and less filler. The cheap food, they will eat more of, and to be honest with you, as it is more non-nutritional filler, they poop out more also. I spend about $12 a month on food.

As for spaying or neutering. Spaying a female will always cost more than neutering a male, as it is a more intense surgery. You can see if your area offers any low cost spay / neuter clinics or try adopting a cat from a shelter or rescue group, where this is actually part of the adoption cost. I have spend as little as $30 for a neuter at a low cost clinice to as much as $125 for a spay at the vets office. Remember also, that just like a dog, your cat needs vaccinations. You will want to a feline leukemia/feline aids vaccination, and a respitory vaccination, plus it's rabies shot. Make sure, no matter where you get the cat, and how old it is, that you get proof that your new kitty is feline leukemia free. Kittens can be tested after 8 weeks of age. There is no cure for this, and you will simply be getting a cat that you will watch suffer or you will have to put down, and you probably don't want that heartache. That is another benefit to adopting from a rescue group or shelter, as they should have all their animals already tested. Vaccinations will run the most the first year of life, it will be about $100, maybe a little more depending on your area vets, then about $25 a year there after for the boosters.
If you get a kitten, your first year will be your spendiest, with all that they need to get a good start in life, but after that, cats are pretty low maintenace, with just yearly vaccination boosters, and most states have rabies shots that only need to be given every 3 years. Keep in mind, that if you ever intend to allow your cat out of doors, that you are taking the risk of it being injured by another animal or human, and then you could have unexpected medical costs. It's always best, when possible to keep kitty inside if you think that this kind of an expense may be too much for you.

All things aside, an animal will brighten your days. I simply can't imagine life with out my 3 boys, Louie, Buggs & Chester. They make me laugh every day, and give me a great deal of love and comfort. I hope you are lucky enough to find such a companion.

Answer 2

It is much more than people think......

Spaying with vaccines is about 300.00....that should include a general check up too. This could increase if your cat is ill. Vaccines will be needed every year with a check up and that will run about 100.00....less if you opt out of the vaccines for a strictly indoor cat. We had to do this as our cat is super sensitive to them and has a horrible reaction. The vet said that is fine.

Litter ( I recommend the clumping kind for easy cleaning) is about 15-20 dollars depending on the brand and how much you get.
Litter pans are about 8.00
Food is about 26.00 for a large bag of Purina One which is a great brand. This is about every 3-4 weeks.
Food bowls are about 8-15.00 depending on the kind you buy. Those ziplock plastic dishes work fine if you are in a pinch.

A nice cat bed is about 30.00
A crate which you will need if you take your cat anywhere is about 30.00
Cat toys can range from 50 cents to quite expensive (we like milk tops....cheap and the cats love them....boxes of any sort are popular as well)
Carpeted climbing gym type things are very expensive but cats love them.

Overall, some of these things you will buy only once. The love you get back from your cat is immeasurable. We now have 3 cats (our limit) and we love everything about them. Yes, they can cost quite a bit of money, but we take our responsiblity very seriously.

Good luck and good day!

Answer 3

Dear Diana,

Cats can be pretty expensive. Spaying or neutering is about $ 100. Food depends on what kind, but buy the big bags, they are cheaper than buying all the small bags. A litterbox can go for like $10 -15. I suggest putting a mat infront of the litter box to prevent any spills!

Good luck,

Love Renee

Answer 4

It can be quite expensive. Some areas have low cost speutering like $25 but if your cat gets ill it can be well over $100. Litter and food can be as much as $30 per month or more.
Then you have the toys, scratching post, bed and other extras to consider. And if you work the cat will get lonely so it is better to have two cats to keep them happy and entertained while you are away.
And you need to get the rabies and other vaccinations once a year that will cost $50 or more.

Answer 5

The price of spaying/neutering depends on the vet and the area you're in. Ask your local humane society, they can point you towards a vet who will do spay/neuter, checkup, etc for much less than the usual price.

The basics for a happy, healthy cat are:
Litter box
Litter
Litter scoop (to clean the litter)
Dry food (get one of the bigger brands like Purina or Meow Mix if you can't afford Iams or Hill's Science, not the bargain ones - and kittens need kitten chow, not regular cat chow!)
Two bowls (food and water)
Scratching box (basically a box with corrugated cardboard in it - cats love sharpening their claws on this, and they're cheaper than standard scratching posts)
Toys are good, but they'll settle for a ping-pong ball (or other small, non-chewy ball) and a length of wiggly rope or string quite happily, as long as you're playing with them. Put the string out of their reach when you aren't playing with them though, you don't want them to eat it and get sick!

Prices vary by location and you can generally get a new-cat package (food bowl, litter box, litter, scoop) at most grocery stores and all pet stores.

Answer 6

Ok first find a cat.... If the cat you find hasnt been fixed and decladed then you might wana thing about doing them both.... You should probably get your cat fixed unless you want baby kittens (probably not a good idea since you dont know how to take care of 1 cat not alone tiny kittens) declawing isnt nescary but you might wana think about it because if you dont your cat will rip up your furnuature and stuff (its more expensive then just fixing)... Their are different prices for both of theses servies you just have to hunt around for the best price...... If you dont want to have to go through all of this then go to like petco or something and find a cat thats alredy been decladed and fixed (here they cost like $100).... You willl need food and a litter box and cat litter and.... Again you can find all of these things for cheap if you just look around for the best price....... A checkup the price for that depends on the vet you go to again look around for the best price..... Cats are great pets to have.... With a cat you just live and learn.... Hope this helps

Answer 7

from the replies, i see there are several seasoned cat owners around.. so i'll just give my 2cents worth.
i'd my cat for around 4 yrs now, on average i only spend on her food approx S$20 for 1.5kg Science Diet (Hairball control / light) monthly.
she's a stray my sis picked off the roadside when she's just a kitten. we had a litterbox (donation from friends) but don't use it as we managed to toilet train her.
food and water bowls are just some extra bowls we have, those thats not too deep, suitable for her to eat comfortably out of it.
occasionally we buy some treats or toys for her, but it don't cost more than S$10.
another friend gave us a scratching post, but my cat don't use it, she loves scratching our fake potted tree instead. she's trained not to scratch anywhere except the potted tree (although there are some accidents) but not to the extent of furniture replacement.
the huge cost was getting her spayed at local vet which cost about S$150++ and the annual vet visits which is approx $100.
so u see, it doesn't really cost much (for my case, at least) to own a cat, definitely more affordable than a dog.

Answer 8

It runs about 100.00 to spay a cat and 60.00 to neuter one in Wisconsin, Litter box is like 20.00 at Wal-Mart. Food is about 20.00 for a 25LB Bag at Wal-Mart depending on what brand you want to feed I use Special Kitty Food and Litter is around 3.00. Flea and Mite treatment can run about 30.00 for frontline which I think is the best. Other than that there shouldn't be much more for bills unless the cat gets ill. Then that is another story.
I have 2 cats and one got sick that costed me about 500.00 other than that they don't cost me much...
I hope you get a really special one good luck

Answer 9

Spraying and neutering cost anywhere in between 75 dollars and 120 dollars.A check up is usually 15-20dollars and food cost depends on the size of the bag but the bigger bags r cheaper than the smaller bags.They cost about 10.50 or so,a liter boz can cost any whree from 10-30 dollars.

Answer 10

Spaying is like 300$. My cat got that, but it was worth it. They live longer when you do it. food is not expensive, but it depends. If you need diet food, it may cost a bit more. Regular check ups (1nce a year) Will cost maybe 30-70 $$. You need a check up to make sure ur cat is nuice and healthy. But shots cost 70-100 $$. But there TOTALLY worth it. If you dont want ur cat to die early in life, make sure it gets its yearly shots. Buy toy mice. My cat will go insane for hours with hers. Dont buy plastik water bowls. After a while, bacteria builds up around the inside ov the bowl and it contamintes the water and can make ur cat sick. If u do want a plastice one, wash it with soap and water every 4-5 days, to make sure it is clean.
Hope I helped you a lot!