Shelter Kitten vs. Free Kitten?

Question

I am interested in getting a kitten, would it be more economical to get a free one or one from a shelter? The shelter spays and gives all the shots included in the adoption fee of $100. Or I can get a free kitten and pay for the shots and spaying myself. I'm just not sure what the going rate is for the above mentioned services. Any thoughts?

Thanks!

Answer 1

With a shelter kitten you can get abetter deal, they spay/neuter, given rabies shot, and feline 5way, test for lekemia, and feline aids,even dewormed and typically get some kind of hands on work, where as a free kitten is well not tested at all, no shots, which will cost about $30.00 to walk in the vets office,$25.00 for rabies, $20.00 for 5way, $15.00 for fecal float (worm test) $10.00 for worm medicine, $40.00 for lekemia test and $35. for aids test, if yopuwant them spayed/neutured it's about $100.00 for neuture and $150.00 for spay so add it up $100.00-$125.00 for shelter kitten or $275.00 to $325.00 for a FREE kitten. I'd go with the shelter kitten.

Answer 2

Well in the long run the deal you get from getting a cat from the shelter is a better deal. Because you get the cat and it's shots and neutering for $100. If you get a kitten for free you have to get the kitten a series of shots (booster shots) which are 3 sets every so many weeks, then a rabies shot. Each time it gets shots that's a vet visit fee of about $30-$40 (depending on the vet) plus the cost of t heshot (about $15 - $20)... then the cat will need a blood test before it is neutered.. a blood test normally runs an extra $30... plus the $60 for neutering or even more like $90 for spaying. Add that up and it's a lot more than $100..

plus you'll be saving a life. you'll feel good. all of my cats were strays.

Answer 3

The rescue groups that display cats available for adoption at PetSmarts have put much more then $75 in the kitten. The care alone they have provided can easily be worth $250-300 or even more. A female kitten, higher. I don't know where you think you can get good deals for the care it needs, but I think you may be underestimating the costs. When the PetSmart kitten was treated, it also means it got a health assessment, so other things that could need attention has been already checked for. Three of my cats were from rescue groups that showed then at the local PetSmart. They were not kitten mill cats. Two were hand raised from 3 1/2 weeks after their mother stopped, and the other was found in a barn. They had received vet care far in excess of the adoption fee.

Answer 4

No problem trying to save money every penny helps these days.
Your best bet is to adopt a kitty from a shelter, all tests for feline diseases have been done and kitty has been spayed or neutered already and shots are up to date.
If you adopt a kitty outside the shelter you have to take into consideration the additional cost of blood work inoculations pre and post surgical visits and the actual fee for spaying or neutering.

No doubt shelter kitties are your best bet, you will possibly saving the kittens life from being put down due to overcrowding.

Answer 5

Shots and spaying a kitten will cost around $100 anyhow.

Look at the kitten and see if you bond well. I adopted a shelter kitten from PetSmart and paid around $55. I didn't even go in there looking for a cat, but when I saw her, she and I just clicked and I knew I had to bring her home!

Answer 6

With the shelter kitten, any diseases have likely already been discovered. So in that sense, it's a safer, more economically sensible option. But the real test of which kitten you should adopt is the individual animal. This is a commitment you're making for the life of the cat (15 years or so), so you should adopt whomever you like the best. You'll know when you're holding the right one.

Answer 7

Going to the vet and getting shots, the animal fixed and everything else can easily be $150 dollars, so $100 is cheaper, in the long run the cat is going to cost you thousands of dollars in food, litter and vet appointments, so it really doesn't matter that much. Supporting a shelter is good, but there are free kittens as well, just find one you like, the cost is going to be high no matter what.

Answer 8

get a free kitten. Even though it's a very considerate act to get a shelter kitten, kittens from home are better socialized, and have fewer behavior problems that cause you headaches in the long run. Also, even though shelters vaccinate, they don't often catch everything--you never know where your shelter kitten has been, whereas you know where your kitten comes from if you talk to or know the people you get a kitten from.

It's unfortunate, but kitties from a home, when they are ready to live without their mother--usually around 2.5 - 3 months--is a much better deal.

Answer 9

It will probably end up costing you about the same; however, I would adopt the shelter kitten. You never know, you are likely going to save the kittens life plus your adoption fee likely goes to assisting the shelter in taking care of the other animals they are keeping. Good luck!!!

Answer 10

Shelter is the best way if you are serious about getting a kitten. As you said they take care of the first shots and stuff. They also have to put animals to sleep if they can't find a home for them.

Answer 11

It probably evens out, although sometimes you can find low fee spay clinics, then the' free' kitten would be cheaper. Shots are not that expensive, and don't let the vet try to rip you off with so called 'necessary immunizations. If it will be an indoor cat.... some of the shots are not absolutely necessary.